By Annabelle Berrios
Yesterday afternoon, I watched the video of what happened two days ago at the Republican National Convention when Zoraida Fonalledas, the National Committeewoman for Puerto Rico and chairwoman of the party’s permanent organization committee, took her turn at the main stage lectern. It was her turn to speak. She could not. She tried. Her voice on the microphone made a few attempts to penetrate the group chant: “U-S-A!”
Was that her own voice on the microphone briefly joining in the very chant that disregarded her presence at the lectern?
According to her statement to NBC Latino, it was. Were there really crowds of people standing, some pushing their fists in the air, others throwing their fists toward the lectern?
Did I really see Ms. Fonalledas look to her left to the RNC chairman for support? Did the chairman really need to consult with the man standing next to him before stepping up to the podium and calling for order? The whole scene hurts to watch. You may interpret my questions as expressing doubt. They do not. They reflect my shock and dismay that this happened. If I hadn’t seen the video I may have been able to make excuses. But I watched the video. I feel like this single act of pushing ‘play’ created a responsibility to respond, not only as a Puerto Rican woman, as a citizen of the United States, or even as a voter in the upcoming elections, but as a human being with access to emotional as well as intellectual intelligence.
“Please give her the respect to give her report,” the RNC Chairman insisted as the crowd resisted, while he beat his gavel repeatedly.