Rishi Kumar
I am a California Democrat and I stand firmly against SB 403! My opposition to Hinduphobia, ever since it started surfacing in American society, remains unwavering. This bill appears to be cloaked to stoke hatred and Hinduphobia. Such bills may potentially escalate Anti-Asian hate crimes throughout the country.
Let me state this – SB 403 is redundant as our country and California already have anti-discriminatory laws, but this bill fosters needless division amongst the South Asian Hindu community. Classifying any demographic group based on their lineage or nationality is inherently discriminatory.
My Democratic credentials and political ideology
I’ve been a member of the California Democratic Party since the year 2000, following my move to the Golden State. In 2013, my fellow Democrats elected me to the executive board of the California Democratic Party, where I held that position for multiple terms. Similarly, I was elected to serve as a Democratic delegate, a position I was entrusted with across several terms. Additionally, I’ve held a position on the board of the California Democratic Party API Caucus, where I again served numerous terms. My journey in public service has also seen me elected to the Saratoga City Council twice – with my re-election securing the highest vote tally in the city’s recorded history, a record that remains unbroken to this day.
As a Democrat immersed in public service, I must state emphatically that I object to such frivolous bills, and this bill has a clear discriminatory stance towards South Asians. My opposition is unequivocal and resolute!
In 2022, when I was running to represent Silicon Valley’s district 16 in the U.S. Congress, I received a historical 42% of the vote in the general election of November – the highest for any challenger in the last 30 years – on the basis of pragmatic commonsense policies. I vociferously objected to Hinduphobia then. Today, as I run another campaign for the same U.S. Congressional seat in the 2024 election, my position remains firm: I consistently and strongly condemn Hinduphobia. I am committed to a ‘getting-things-done’ platform that addresses the underlying failures of my congressional district and California.
SB 403 seems to me to be misguided and utterly unnecessary. It’s these poorly planned and misdirected policies that are contributing to California’s current crisis and accelerating decline. I will never follow the herd down a cliff.
California needs a directional shift
California’s legislators in Sacramento seem to be passing legislation merely because they have the power to do so, given that California’s strong Democratic leaning allows them to advance any bill they propose. Furthermore, it seems like they often yield to the pressures exerted by specific interest groups!
Don’t they care about the results they deliver for their constituents and the future of our state or about fixing our underlying challenges?
Why can’t Sacramento devise reasonable laws that truly benefit its residents and the state at large?
Why isn’t Sacramento taking action to halt the mass departure prompted by our challenges with housing, crime, taxes, and other serious issues?
Take for example the $100 billion surplus that the state boasted in 2021, which has now shockingly turned into a $30 billion deficit. How can a right become a wrong so quickly?
How did Sacramento lose $60 billion due to unemployment fraud during the pandemic? It’s concerning to note that, so far, there appears to be a lack of initiatives aimed at rectifying this situation or prosecuting the offenders. The current state of accountability within our state seems to be lacking, which is disheartening.
Let’s talk about Sacramento’s support for Proposition 47, which led to a surge in crime across California. When will we absorb the lessons from our mistakes?
Consider, for instance, Sacramento’s SB-9 and its poorly thought-out housing strategies, which turns development projects to real estate conglomerates, preempts local government authority, without tackling the root causes of the housing issues in our communities.
Consider also the recent Assembly Bill 205 that proposes linking California’s utility rates to our income, an atrocious move that is unparalleled worldwide. This bill also threatens to undermine the future of the solar industry in California.
Why haven’t we seen Sacramento working on a vision plan to address our recurring droughts?
There are many such examples!
We can do better! Caste is NOT an issue…never has been!
Back in 2021, I opposed the idea of making caste a separate protected category in the county’s discrimination policy when the Santa Clara County Human Rights Commission held a hearing. I collaborated with local organizations to devise a plan to quell this initiative. I thought this caste issue was behind us …
But now, there’s SB-403. What is the purpose behind Sacramento’s push for such poorly thought-out legislation? What issue are we attempting to rectify? There is no historical or legal precedent for caste regulation in the United States. The roots of this bill lie in the CRD vs. Cisco Caste Discrimination Case, which was dismissed by the court. Advocates for this bill often reference a report by Equality Labs, but it’s worth noting that the judge in the Cisco case rejected it as evidence. The emphasis on caste seems pointless – it’s as if we’re hunting for a problem that doesn’t exist, and this could potentially amplify hate crime against South Asians. Enforcing this law could paradoxically require South Asians to identify with a caste, an identification that doesn’t currently exist. Existing California laws already safeguard us against any form of discrimination.
This bill wrongfully condemns South Asian Californians, accusing them of bias, discrimination, and even oddly extends to severe offenses such as torture and human trafficking, based on caste. How many South Asians in California have been reported or imprisoned for such crimes? None!
Existing nondiscrimination laws should be universally applicable. What issue are we trying to resolve here?
Sacramento must stop this pattern of action for action’s sake and start to tackle the pressing issues that have the state failing on many counts.
Here is your suggested action:
Tweet a message on this topic tagging Governor Newsom
Send an email to Governor Newsom. Follow the steps explained at RishiKumar.com/SB403
Sign the petition to President Biden http://change.org/p/president-biden-protect-the-hindus-of-america
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