I am shaking my head....
First they punked out on Affirmative action and sent the vote back to the state court of it's origin.....and now...These gutless wonders just shredded one of the key achievements of the civil rights movemant....The Voting Rights Act of 1965......
This United States Supreme Court handed down a decision in the case of Shelby County v. Holder that has basically destroyed the Voting Rights Act, ending 40 years of protection for minorities against discriminatory and unfair attempts to limit voting based on one's race.
It's a shameful decision, and after hearing oral arguments, it sadly comes as no surprise. During the oral arguments in this case, Justice Anton Scalia described the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act as "the perpetuation of a racial entitlement," and other justices questioned whether racial discrimination even still exists. Can you believe this? What planet do these guys live on???
While the Supreme Court did not invalidate Section 5, a key part of the Voting Rights Act, it threw out the basic formula that has been used practically since the bill's passage in 1965 to determine where the Justice Department must provide approval before local election rules that would suppress the votes of African American and Latino citizens can be put into effect.
While voter suppression rules can still be challenged by the Department of Justice after the fact, this will most likely happen too late to prevent minority voters from being blocked from the polls. The court's decision effectively guts the Voting Rights Act, rendering it useless until we elect a Congress willing to update this formula — which could take years.
For decades the Voting Rights Act protected voters in pockets of the country with a history of racially discriminatory voting practices. Just this past election, it allowed the Justice Department to block attempts by Texas, South Carolina and Florida to implement discriminatory voting rules.
For decades, the Voting Rights Act has helped narrow the gap that exists between civic participation rates of white voters and voters from communities of color. But now, right-wing efforts to make it harder for African Americans and Latino citizens to vote will be completely unfettered. With so many state legislatures and governorships held by these right-wing extremists, efforts to block voting access will be widespread, targeted and coordinated.
I just want to tell Anton Scalia and everybody who believes the nonsense he believes...that for Desperate disenfranchized men like myself and other African Americans and my Latino brothers and sisters, voting has never been a “racial entitlement.” It is a right that was earned through extraordinary sacrifice. It's a right that my grandfather, who had been in this country longer than Scalia's descendents didn't have.
The Voting Rights Act was the result of decades of hard work, of advocacy, of protests and marches and courage before fire hoses and police dogs. It was one of the crowning achievements of a generation....and I don't know about anyone else...but I'll be damned if I see everything those wonderful,brave and valiant people struggled and died for shredded...
I'll be at the booth every election!!! And I plan to do more than just this blog...My voice is going to be heard in your newspapers...on your internet...all over it and in the crowds....
All you congressmen, all you senators, all you state officials...Don't you come to my neighborhood next year shilling for re-election...Because I'm going to be in the crowd....I'm serving notice now...I aint forgetting and I aint forgiving...
You have made one Black man sorely displeased and if all I can do is let you know how displeased I am...Then you're all going to know...
You've been warned!
And I know somebody is reading this that shouldn't be....Don't worry...I didn't send this to Akbar or Amir!
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