Voter Suppression Laws Are Unjust
Why are we going back to the 1950s?
Republicans have a time machine. They’ve pressed the lever on their version of a way back machine and we’ve gone from 2021 to 1951. There’s no Civil Rights bill. There’s no Equal Rights Amendment. There are no laws protecting the disabled or the LGBTQ+ community. Racists are in charge either directly or indirectly in every aspect of American life.
Not much has changed since the 1950s. Yes, the bills and amendments are in place. People of Color, specifically Black people, have made gains in many areas of American society. We have Black billionaires, like Oprah. We have Black doctors, scientists, and inventors. Tyler Perry owns his own studio. We even had an African-American President. I’m sure Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would have been smiling from Heaven when Obama and his family took the stage after his historic win.
Today, Kamala Harris is the first Black woman to become Vice President of the United States. Another historic achievement in the history of this country. Her success and Obama’s success prove that Black people can fight through hate and racism to lead on the national stage. And for that very reason, the racists in this country have decided that enough is enough.
A majority of Republicans in Congress support changes in voting regulations in their home states. These states are led by Republican governors who are pushing their state legislators to pass changes to voting laws. These changes amount to Jin Crow 2.0. They target the poor and people of color. They limit voting hours, end mail-in voting opportunities, and even penalize people for helping voters waiting in line. This is beyond ridiculous.
But it’s happening. Laws are being passed. Of course, there’s protest. The most notable in Texas where the Democratic leaders in the state have left and flown to Washington D.C. to have their voices heard. The Republican governor, Greg Abbott, is threatening imprisonment to those lawmakers. This is where we are as a country.
We are not in the 1950s. We are not going backward as a country. We can’t. Progress demands that we continue to move forward. Jim Crow 2.0 must be stopped. President Biden needs to step in and make an executive order. Mitch McConnell must be held in check. He has too much authority despite the House and the Senate under Democratic control. McConnell is not doing America any favors. Abbott is hurting his state. Republicans around the country need to not retreat to the antiquated and unjust ways of the past.
Voting is a right. Americans have the right to vote. Suppressing the vote should not be allowed in any state. People see what the Republicans are doing and will not stand for it. They are fighting back. We can disable the time machine. America needs to be a forward-thinking nation. Voting is a right that must progress for the future of this country.
