#voting act

The very first thing that I'm going to say is, before people tear me apart for my insensitivity, please read my reasoning. I think the rights of the GLBT community are of the utmost importance. I think what happened today with DOMA and Prop. 8 is exactly what should happen. I also know that calling this the "lesser issue" is horrible, but today, right now, it's true.

The short version is that the Supreme Court gutted one of the most important acts in the nation's history yesterday.

To be clear, I don't think they did it because they are racist or bigots (though some of them are). They did it because it virtually guarantees elected seats get handed to Republicans in instances where those seats would more than likely go to the Democrats. The reason used to justify this change is that the section removed is no longer needed. If this were true, it would be the most amazing sign of social growth and progress ever in this country. I would like nothing better than to say that I live in a country where we are so open minded and eager to ensure everyone that wants to vote can, that we don't even need laws or other forms of legislation to ensure no one is locked out of the process. I'd also love to be able to say I live in a country where the political figures are so ethically pure that they won't change the structure of the system to suit their own needs. Here's the problem: I'm not an idiot.

Now, you may be asking, how can it lead to all the election manipulation I just said could happen. If you are, let me explain. Since about forever, both sides of the political spectrum have been trying to do whatever it takes to ensure they are in the best possible situation to secure the most votes come election time. This is no surprise. After all, rule number one of being a politician is protect your seat at all costs. The current political landscape makes it so that more people voting typically helps the Democrats and less people voting typically helps the Republicans.

This is the reason so many different elected Republicans have come out in recent years in support of voter ID laws. They don't want people to vote. The people that are least likely to have a picture ID are the same people that are more likely to vote for a Democratic candidate. If the laws can be changed to make it harder for people to vote, the widespread impact is that the Democrats lose a disproportionate number of votes compared to the Republicans. It has nothing to do with wanting to ensure voter fraud does not occur. Voter fraud has had less than one case per year since the turn of the century.

The other aspect that comes into play is the restructuring of districts. Currently, several solid red states are ever so steadily shifting to blue states. It is getting to the point where even voter suppression may not be enough to keep the tide from coming within the next few presidential election cycles. So, if you can't keep enough people from voting to ensure you keep your seat, what do you do? You manipulate the way the voting districts are structured in order to spread out the votes of your opponents. This effectively drowns out the clear and obvious shift in voting trends.

Before yesterday, if specific states wanted to put in place a voter ID law, change the way districts are structured, or otherwise change the voting process within the state, they needed to have the changes reviewed. Now, they no longer need to do so, which is disastrous in terms of civil liberties. Some are of the mind that it will have minimal impact, as I stated. I've heard several numbers quoted over the last 24-36 hours, but two stuck out to me. One is that the voting rights act stopped instances of discrimination before it could start 74 times since the year 2000. The other is that it has protected voter rights 700 times since 1982. That hardly indicates that we've moved beyond the need for this as a country, and shows beyond question that the repeal is politically motivated.

To come back to the original point, DOMA's repeal is wonderful and should be celebrated. However, what happened yesterday has the potential to entirely reverse any forward progress of today. The writing appears to be on the wall at this juncture. There is a fundamental shift of thinking on the issue of marriage equality nationwide, and it is only a matter of time before it becomes a road that has been traveled instead of the road we continue to march down. So yes, rejoice at what is good and right happening in regards to marriage equality, but do so with the knowledge that there is a new stumbling block that may not be felt fully for years to come. It is a stumbling block that not only threatens to undo what good was done today, but to also reinstate inequality of many other forms.

Did you know I'm so, so excited for the gay community's victory today? First, I just want to congratulate you guys.

Then good victory for feminism today. Very good.

But America is going to bring back the Voting Rights Act 1965. This severs African Americans' right to vote. One, I don't understand how this bill could even consider being brought up because our president, like me, is half black. Two, the idea that it's being brought up again after 50 years of not being touched at all it's fucking appalling to me, and makes no sense. 

I don't know that much information about this topic, and I'm sorry to trouble you with all the other shit that's going on today and all, but this is important to me.

https://www.aclu.org/secure/congress-repair-voting-act?sid=1185490