Writing the The Atlantic, Andrew Cohen is lamenting in advance the dismantling of the Voting Rights Act by the Supreme Court. To listen to Cohen, one would believe that any change to the Voting Rights Act will result in the return of poll taxes, literacy tests, and intimidation that was used sixty years ago to reduce minority voting in certain areas of the country. It is complete nonsense.
When the Voting Rights Act was passed over the objections of Southern Democrats in the mid 1960s, there was clearly a problem in many southern states with regard to letting minorities have equal voting rights. As a result, Congress put in place a structure which requires certain states to get preclearance for any changes to voting laws, redistricting, and the like. For about 50 years, these states have followed the requirements designed to end those old descriminatory practices. The question currently before the Supreme Court is whether or not there is any basis remaining for the restrictions on just these states to stay in place. Remember, the Constitution guarantees equal rights to all citizens, and it requires all states to be treated equally as well. When Congress stepped in with the Voting Rights Act, it was because some states were denying their citizens equal treatment, but that was 50 years ago. Not one of the legislators who passed restrictive laws or police who enforced them are still on the job. Indeed, Congress no longer has any evidence that there are any limitations on voting rights that are particular to the states in question. So the question arises whether or not the requirement to treat all states equally now outweighs the restrictions put in place to deal with 50 year old descrimination that has not been seen since. It is that question that the case before the Supremem Court will determine.
In his article, Cohen tries to whip up hysteria about photo ID requirements for voting. He says that these requirements "may" hit minority voters harder than others. That really tells one all one needs to know. If the left cannot even say without evidence that these ID requirements will in fact hit minorities harder than others, it is because they know that the claim is totally phony. Indeed, the Supreme Court has already ruled that photo ID requirements set by states are perfectly proper.
Although the left still wants to find racism everywhere they look, for the most part that racism is imaginary. Are there still racists in America? Sure, just like everywhere else. The point, however, is that the racists are few and far between. They are not in power anywhere. There is no organized political support by any group for racist practices. Why the left finds this so hard to accept tells us more about the left than about reality. For them, the world they envision rather than the real world is most important. Hopefully, the Supreme Court will look at reality.
When the Voting Rights Act was passed over the objections of Southern Democrats in the mid 1960s, there was clearly a problem in many southern states with regard to letting minorities have equal voting rights. As a result, Congress put in place a structure which requires certain states to get preclearance for any changes to voting laws, redistricting, and the like. For about 50 years, these states have followed the requirements designed to end those old descriminatory practices. The question currently before the Supreme Court is whether or not there is any basis remaining for the restrictions on just these states to stay in place. Remember, the Constitution guarantees equal rights to all citizens, and it requires all states to be treated equally as well. When Congress stepped in with the Voting Rights Act, it was because some states were denying their citizens equal treatment, but that was 50 years ago. Not one of the legislators who passed restrictive laws or police who enforced them are still on the job. Indeed, Congress no longer has any evidence that there are any limitations on voting rights that are particular to the states in question. So the question arises whether or not the requirement to treat all states equally now outweighs the restrictions put in place to deal with 50 year old descrimination that has not been seen since. It is that question that the case before the Supremem Court will determine.
In his article, Cohen tries to whip up hysteria about photo ID requirements for voting. He says that these requirements "may" hit minority voters harder than others. That really tells one all one needs to know. If the left cannot even say without evidence that these ID requirements will in fact hit minorities harder than others, it is because they know that the claim is totally phony. Indeed, the Supreme Court has already ruled that photo ID requirements set by states are perfectly proper.
Although the left still wants to find racism everywhere they look, for the most part that racism is imaginary. Are there still racists in America? Sure, just like everywhere else. The point, however, is that the racists are few and far between. They are not in power anywhere. There is no organized political support by any group for racist practices. Why the left finds this so hard to accept tells us more about the left than about reality. For them, the world they envision rather than the real world is most important. Hopefully, the Supreme Court will look at reality.
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