Freedom ... but to do what?

Taos News quotes Taos County Republican Party Chair Sarah Valente as saying, “The Republican Party stands for gun rights, freedom across the board and parental rights with regard to transgender and nonbinary children.”

My question is: freedom to do what? No freedom for women and families to make reproductive decisions. No freedom for parents seeking to have children through in vitro fertilization. No freedom for parents of LGBTQ children to access gender-affirming healthcare. No freedom for LGBTQ same-sex couples to have equal protection under the law. No freedom for school kids to read books Republicans want to ban or to learn about the full history of this country’s mistreatment of racial minorities, including Native Americans,

African Americans and Hispanic Americans. As far as “gun rights” go, New Mexico Republicans, including elected law enforcement officials, have consistently opposed enforcement of common sense gun safety laws that protect New Mexicans from being victims of gun violence. Then there is the freedom to vote and have your vote count, which Republicans have opposed for decades through voter suppression laws and on Jan. 6, 2021 through violent insurrection and many of their members of Congress voting against certifying Joe Biden’s election.

The Taos County Republican Chair was right about one thing she said: “In Taos County it’s not always helpful to have the help of the Republican Party.” That might have to do with their extreme, divisive and undemocratic policy positions.