Message from DA Spain Chair

Is it ironic that I’m writing this column on Mother’s Day and that I spent the morning at the church where I first met Sarah Weddington, the lawyer who successfully argued Roe v. Wade? I refer, of course, to the topic of the leaked Supreme Court (SCOTUS) draft opinion that would overturn Roe if ultimately adopted. Such a ruling would do tremendous violence to the individual right of bodily autonomy as well as impede the delivery of the best practices in reproductive health care. Small wonder, then, that opposition to overturning Roe has been forceful and virtually instantaneous. Members of Democrats Abroad are already participating in this opposition. If you want to join that effort, please read on and follow DA Spain on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

But in addition to the drastic move backwards for American women portended by this draft opinion, the Supreme Court’s apparent willingness to overturn Roe signals two other significant dangers we ought to be aware of.

The first is that SCOTUS is expressing a potential willingness to curtail other rights delineated in historic opinions over the years. What does the fall of Roe mean for Obergefell, the opinion recognizing the right of same-sex couples to marry? Or for Lawrence, which struck down laws criminalizing homosexuality? Or Griswold, protecting the right of access to birth control? Or Gideon, requiring the provision of lawyers to indigent defendants in felony cases? Or Brown, ordering school desegregation? The list goes on and on, because a Court that overturns the expansion of rights in one area may have no compunctions about narrowing Constitutional rights in others.

The second danger is somewhat less obvious, but more far-reaching. It is explained very clearly in the book “How Fascism Works,” by Yale professor Jason Stanley. In the first chapter of this profoundly unsettling book (summarized in this video), Stanley argues that the first step in establishing a fascist regime is to invoke “a pure mythic past tragically destroyed.” Fascism claims that it, alone, can restore this perfect, fictional bygone era. In the pure, mythical past being heralded by the American right, women and other minorities were firmly under the control of men, both legally and physically. The Court’s promotion of this myth can be regarded as the first step on the path to a further unraveling of our democracy.

So what do we do? There’s no shortage of work, and for Democrats Abroad that means getting out the overseas vote for Democratic candidates. We must help American voters who live in Spain register to vote and then navigate the multi-step process of voting overseas. Without our efforts, thousands of votes for Democratic candidates — who will work to restore and expand our rights, not deny them to disfavored groups of Americans — will be lost.

So, over the next five months, let’s get out every Democratic vote we can! The stakes have never been higher.

Thanks for all that you do, 

Kathy Tullos (Chair)

Message from DA Spain Chair

Usually the fun fact in our newsletter appears at the end, but today we’re starting out with one, as well. Did you know that the average adult spends about 10 full months of their life talking about the weather?

As I write this, the weather here in our home in Torrevieja has been absolutely wild. March was the wettest it’s been in 95 years, and the wind has whipped the palms around so much I’m surprised the fronds aren’t in braids by now. On the plus side, local surfers are having a great time. And for good or ill, we entertained two sets of guests from the USA during this deluge. We apparently have hardy friends, because everybody just donned rain jackets and headed out to see the sights.

Our home country is experiencing heavy weather, too. In the midst of the world’s turbulence, we’re facing midterm elections in which forecasters say Democrats could lose up to 60 seats in the House of Representatives. SIXTY SEATS. Goodbye investigation of the attempted coup on January 6, and hello impeachment of Joe Biden for, well, being alive, along with anything else equally nefarious the Republicans can think up.

So Democrats Abroad Spain has to do its bit. Each of us has to do our bit. And here are the three things you can do:

1. Volunteer to phonebank. This is critical. We’re calling other members of DA to make sure they register to vote, request their ballots and return them. You use an online system that lets you know what to say, dials for you, and doesn’t tie up your own phone. Make five calls just to try it out; you’ll see how easy it is!  (See details below)
2. Tell other Americans abroad about the importance of voting from overseas. Guide them to votefromabroad.org, where up-to-date voting information about every US jurisdiction is available, along with individual help if users have questions. The vast majority of Americans who vote from abroad are Democrats, so your individual outreach can have a significant impact.
3. Help Democrats Abroad Spain find folks who are savvy about social media and who’d be willing to help DAS with its social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok) or otherwise help out with the communications team. Reach out to us at [email protected]. 

It’s time to pull on the raincoats, stuff our feet into rain boots, and get to work. We can’t change the weather, but we can change the outcome of our elections. So let’s get going!

Kathy Tullos (Chair)