A Hindu Perspective on the Georgia Senate Elections

By Fred Stella

On January 5, 2021, Georgia voters will determine the political destiny of the entire country. It is my hope that my fellow Hindu-Americans in Georgia will play a major role in accomplishing the goal of making sure Joe Biden has a Democratic-controlled Senate to advance a more fair, honest and equitable government.

On one side we have Republicans Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, and on the other, Democratic challengers Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff. Hindu-Americans in the Peach State will play a significant role in this election, as they now number approximately 100,000. With a united voice, they could decide not just the socio-political fate of Georgia, but the entire county.

As a Hindu, it is my hope that they offer their unbridled support to the Democrats as they strive to restore honesty and integrity to the Senate.

The Bhagavad Gita states, “When virtue declines, when vice predominates, I rise from age to age and take visible shape. And move, as a man with men, succoring the good, chasing the evil back, and placing virtue on her seat again.” For many Hindus, this sloka exclusively indicates the appearance of an avatar — a divine personage. But some maintain that this can also refer to a human ideal that we should all strive for. Simply waiting for someone else to come along and correct the world is at best, lazy, at worst, complicit. Warnock and Ossoff have both stepped up to serve the community, and thus, embody this moral value. And those who support them share in their noble work of replacing vice with virtue.

Loeffler and Perdue embody Trumpism, which by its nature is xenophobic and divisive. Both have used their positions to enrich themselves at the expense of their constituents. Both have sown seeds of distrust in the electoral process, going so far as requesting that their fellow Republican — Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger — resign due to his agreement with the election results that placed Joe Biden as our current President-Elect. They continue to spout contradictory nonsense in an attempt to appease their master, cowering like lowly minions, fearful that the wrong quote or appearance of anything less than complete submission will result in death by tweet.

Clearly, they both govern in an adharmic fashion. They reject science, and their rhetoric regarding the pandemic has put countless people at risk of illness and death. They favor corporations over the needs of the greater populace, as well as Mata Bhumi. For brevity’s sake I’ll stop here.

But people are not always inspired just to vote against something or someone. They like to support candidates that share their principles. It is my belief that Warnock and Ossoff will represent Georgia’s Hindus well in this regard. The fact that Hindu-Americans supported Joe Biden in the last election means something significant: that we vote with our values.

A victory for both Ossoff and Warnock will displace Mitch McConnell and his dysfunctional allies from their leadership positions. This will allow more easily an agenda that does reflect the standards held by so many Hindus in Georgia and beyond that includes:

• A science based, compassionate response to the COVID-19 pandemic
• A science-based response to the significant challenge of climate change
• An acknowledgement of the serious corruption that allows corporate greed to maneuver political outcomes
• Creating an immigration policy that builds strong borders, yet acts with both pragmatism and compassion
• Promoting religious tolerance.

I implore all Hindus in Georgia to finish the great work that began with the election of Joe Biden by equipping him with allies in the Senate that will allow him to accomplish his Dharmic goals.

Fred Stella has gained extensive experience in Hindu advocacy over the last decade, working on many national issues. He serves as Pracharak (Outreach Minister) for the West Michigan Hindu Temple, and is President of Interfaith Dialogue Association. His program on religion and spirituality (Common Threads) airs on his local NPR affiliate weekly. During this most recent presidential campaign Fred joined Hindu Americans For Biden.