A decision that will cost the governor this voter
Friday, two sad events occurred that might turn back the clock for women’s rights. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a longtime advocate for the rights of all individuals, passed away. Not quite so sad, but unfortunate nonetheless, was Governor Baker’s endorsement of Susan Collins, the senator from Maine who is running for reelection. Collins is no friend to women. Her votes to confirm the last two nominees for the US Supreme Court and against the impeachment of President Trump may well lead to the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
Governor Baker may have handled the coronavirus well, but he will not get my vote — and I hope the votes of many women — if he runs again.
Arlene Bernstein
Framingham
The irony of Saturday’s Globe: Baker endorses Susan Collins and RBG dies. I know he is a Republican, but he could have done something that flip-flop Collins never did, which is simply say nothing. How could he say that Collins is “pro-women”? Baker has been a good governor; is this simply a misstep or a cave-in to party politics?
Judith Gundersen
Milton
This was the last straw
Governor Baker’s decision to back Susan Collins, coming as it does at a time when Republicans can shape the Supreme Court into a conservative bulwark against equality and equity, is the proverbial straw that broke this camel’s back. I was able to vote for Baker by convincing myself he was “Republican-Lite,” and that Massachusetts could show the nation that we can be both liberal and bipartisan. And I approved of, even if I didn’t fully believe, Maura Healey’s assertion that she did not want to run for any office other than attorney general of the Commonwealth. The penultimate back-breaking straw for me was Baker’s “Trump-Lite” refusalto take responsibility for the failures that occurred on his watch and which he could have averted if he exercised the managerial skills he touted when he first ran: a State Police agency mired in corruption; an MBTA system that doesn’t adequately serve; a state-run residential facility for our most vulnerable citizens that became a COVID-19 death trap, to name a few. Attorney General Healey, where do I volunteer for your gubernatorial campaign?
Donald Vaughan
Boston
Too young to vote, she’s disappointed
Re “Baker supporting Collins in Maine Senate race” (Metro, Sept 19): I was 12 when Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court by the US Senate on Oct. 6, 2018. This was after day-long testimony from Christine Blasey Ford, and serious accusations from Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick. I could not believe my eyes. The government I am supposed to trust confirmed an accused sexual predator to one of the highest positions of power in the United States. Senator Susan Collins voted for Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
The day after hero Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing, I learned that Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker had endorsed Collins for reelection. Collins did not stand up for women and girls on Oct. 6, 2018, and furthermore has not committed to voting against the occupant of the White House, who has had at least 25 sexual assault accusations made against him and is a serious threat to our democracy. Collins will be a key vote for the next Trump appointee to the Supreme Court.
Governor Baker, you are a disappointment. You are supporting someone who ignored sexual assault accusations in the confirmation of a nominee to a lifelong position on the US Supreme Court. With your power, you could help make this world a better place for my generation. I am writing as a 14-year-old girl growing up in this country. You are not protecting my rights. You are not protecting your constituents' rights. I urge you to withdraw your endorsement of Susan Collins.
Marisol Pierce Bonifaz
Amherst