Rep. Trujillo shows faulty judgment in Bonar case
State Representative Carl Trujillo is accused of sexual harassment by Animal Protection Voters’ staff member Laura Bonar, which is a disturbing allegation, but equally troubling is Rep. Trujillo’s response to the charge. The first thing for an accused man (or woman) to do is take a deep breath and step back from the situation, then calmly look into whether the accusation, from the possible victim’s point of view, might be true.
Although I do not know Ms. Bonar personally, this was easy for me to do — and should have been for Trujillo. I have supported Animal Protection New Mexico (APNM) and their legislative arm Animal Protection Voters (APV) for years, and know them to be diligent and respectable organizations (and it’s not that easy to earn my respect) comprised of many dedicated, often selfless individuals who want to better the lives of vulnerable sentient beings. You might argue with some of their political positions, but APNM’s sincerity and commitment is not to be doubted. They love animals.
Rep. Trujillo should have known this, having worked with them in supporting their causes, yet he compounded his abject denials by firing off that not only was Bonar lying, but that the judgment of her APV colleagues who stand by her is faulty — wow — and then the kicker. Trujillo actually accused APV of not caring about animals and “sacrificing the larger mission of protecting the most vulnerable and voiceless to dangerous political games.”
As such, Trujillo was blaming his second victim, APV, for the unfortunate results, and in what was intended to be the most hurtful way. Yes, New Mexico’s animals are being let down by losing his attentive support, but not because of APV. It is Trujillo who, by mangling his trusted position, has let the animals (who are, alas, further victims) down.
In addition, Rep. Trujillo is failing vulnerable human beings — the collective status quo of all women who are at the mercy of powerful, egotistical, abusive men — by not even considering what Laura Bonar was saying, then becoming humbled and repentant for all of it that is true. It is his judgment, not APV’s, that is faulty.
LINDA BAIRSTOW Albuquerque