Uncounted: Daniels: 9781479811984: Amazon.com: Books Add this to your reading list.
Further commentary on our divided country. Today the issues are the filibuster question and voting rights. In my last blog I said, “Every political device that games the other party may be a short-term political victory but is a blow to a functional democracy.” I point to Mitch McConnel’s gamesmanship over the supreme court nominations he and his party blocked during the Obama presidency. That is how we ended up with the lopsided court we have now. I bring up the court because the voting rights issue is a rehash of the same questions that were resolved under LBJ with the 15th amendment to the constitution and partially walked back with the Shelby County v. Holder decision by the SCOTUS (supreme court of the United States) in 2013. Reading that decision informs us that the voters must be ever vigilant and take issues to the DOJ in a timely fashion is order to get relief. It comes down to a state’s rights argument then and now. Do the states individually or the federal government have the authority to pass laws regarding voting rights? The 15th amendment provided that the federal government could force the states to allow all citizens access to the voting booth. The Shelby county decision said that was an overreach and voters would have to bring specific issues to the DOJ weakening the voting rights act. Without that decision most of the recent restrictive measures would be thrown out.
I believe that the voters in each state need to get busy and counteract the damage that is being done through redistricting and making it more difficult to vote. Lawyers need to submit issues to the DOJ. I think the voters in each state need to solve the problem. If a state legislature is stacked with wrong thinking politicians, then vote them out. For 2022 everyone needs to go the extra mile and overcome the barriers that have been put in place. It can be done and then use their vote to correct the state legislatures. IT MUST BE DONE!! I can’t imagine people voting for politicians who put them through the misery of having to jump through hoops to vote. Demonstrate the majority at the state level and we will get past the gridlock in DC. If the margin was wider in the house and the senate, we could have what the polls say the majority of Americans want. We can reduce the influence of big money over politics. Money does it’s work but the final power is with the people.
It is difficult and time consuming to try to keep up with the constant barrage of politics. It can be fixed if you make the right choices for your representatives and hold them accountable. The problem at the local and state level is far more manageable but IT MUST BE DONE!! Urge whichever party you are aligned with to spend their energy and money at the local level instead of sending it all to Washington. Take care of the local level and Washington won’t be a problem. Democrats need to do better. Grass roots activity by the GOP is what got us to where we are now.
Start by determining where your elected officials stand on the big lie. If they continue to parrot the demagogue then vote them out. He(45) will never admit he lost the election. Other legislators in his party won the election. If the election was stolen how did that happen? VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE!!!!