Today, by a 6 to 3 vote, the Supreme Court handed down Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee saying that the state of Arizona did not violate the 1965 Voting Rights Act (VRA) with laws that limited ballot delivery to voters, family members, or caregivers, or when it required election officials to throw out ballots that voters had cast in the wrong precincts by accident.
As a British person following this column with huge interest, and worry, I am really grateful for the comment that the 'confederate lobby' stole and distorted the word 'Socialism' in 1871 to mean, apparently, any sort of social intervention which might have a redistributive effect, and above all one which would shift the balance of power against their side within the states. It seems to me that this gives an understanding as to why the USA seems to have a fear of 'socialism' which is to us totally irrational and bigoted, and which extends way beyond any meaning we would accept for the term. It has to be kept as a term of tribal belonging, as opposed to rational discourse, so that the rich can persuade the poor to support them.
“The mere fact that there is some disparity in impact does not necessarily mean that a system is not equally open or that it does not give everyone an equal opportunity to vote.”
Are you freaking kidding me?!?! 😡 That is EXACTLY what it means! If “John” can no longer vote because he doesn’t have a car to get to the poll, and it is no longer legal for someone with a car to deliver his ballot, then he has effectively lost his right to vote.
Hearing the SCOTUS decision yesterday filled me with dread, much like the day I was diagnosed with cancer. I knew then, what I know now, we are in for a long painful fight with no certainty that it will end well.
Today is a day of reflection and gathering inner strength. Tomorrow the fight begins. We have numbers on our side. Strategy, will and hard work are what’s needed now.
The following is from an article by David Badash posted on Alternet:
"Ezra Klein, in his New York Times opinion piece Thursday titled "The Rest of the World Is Worried About America," spoke to scholars of democracy from other countries.
"I'm positive that American democracy is not what Americans think it is," David Altman, a political scientist in Chile, told me. "There is a cognitive dissonance between what American citizens believe their institutions are and what they actually are."
“Today’s decision by the Supreme Court undercuts voting rights in this country ... and makes it all the more crucial to pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore and expand voting protections.”
President Joseph Biden
It is imperative to heed President Biden's words, and more, to do all that we can by writing to and placing pressure on our representatives in Congress. The previous president shouldn't be given the last word!
Morning, all!! Morning, Dr. R!! As Gayle King (CBS) would say, "There's a whole lot of ugly on our plate." That said, I'll get right to it.
As a lead-in to this article, the Washington Post commentator (I forgot her name!) acknowledged the media's penchant for delivering only bad news. So with that in mind, she sent us subscribers this column that describes the many legislators who have put laws in place expanding voting rights for their states. It's a lot!
I can't help but be proud of Virginia leading the way on voting rights. But this is not a heaven I wish to be in when my fellow country-people are being suppressed.
I’ve tried to stay away from commenting because so many people find my comments to be cynical or overly pessimistic, but it’s incredibly hard to not feel that way after yesterday’s Supreme Court decision. We are heading back to the era of Jim Crow legislation, and with the high court now having green-lighted openly prejudiced legislation, other red states will now follow suit with laws which are likely to be even worse. We all know how horrifyingly close the last election was. Just imagine if similar (or worse) bills are now passed in Pennsylvania, or Michigan or Wisconsin. The goal all along has been to legislate the Democrats right out of existence and establish permanent Republican control of the country. Thanks to yesterday’s despicable decision by the Supreme Court, that goal is now within reach for the Republicans (and cue my ever- growing anger at Senators Manchin and Sinema for their role in all of this).
Thank you, again, HCR, for the history lesson illuminating current events.
There is a screaming irony in the party of Lincoln, openly, energetically, seeking to undo what was achieved at enormous cost of blood and fortune in 1865.
Pride goeth before a fall, with shame following close behind.
I’m amazed that Alito could write this with a straight face, “The mere fact that there is some disparity in impact does not necessarily mean that a system is not equally open or that it does not give everyone an equal opportunity to vote.” That there is disparity in impact (by design) means the system is NOT open and equal. The impact of a law on different groups is how you measure its equality.
What Alito meant (but didn’t exactly say) is that “the suppression of minority (Democratic) voters is camouflaged in this law so that we Republicans on the Supreme Court can pretend that it doesn’t exist. Go GOP!”
I’m not at all certain that digging into a thriller before bed is a good idea, but, thanks to your Letters from an American, it’s what I do. Today’s chapter was yet another doozy.
What filled me with a measure of pride today, was listening to President Biden’s press conference following his and Jill’s meeting with anxious and grieving families in Surfside, Fl. Such a terrible circumstance requires a kind, empathetic and helpful response. Thank you Mr. President and First Lady.
Perhaps the way around these more restrictive laws is for Dems to focus on getting younger people to vote. That means getting them interested in signing up. We have a "democracy" in the US, yet compared to other countries our participation in the voting process tends to attract about 48% of the eligible population. This past election, 2/3s voted or 63%... because of the Trump turmoil, still What happened to the 1/3 that didn't bother to vote despite being registered?
Please do not comment on or engage with trolls here (Sandy Lewis is but one). It only serves their purpose of posting here and elevates their comments in the conversation thread. Best to ignore them as background noise.
The Court also issued a decision in Americans for Prosperity v Bonta that decreases transparency into dark money in politics. The decision, in a case brought by one of the Koch brothers ‘charitable’ entities, concludes that a California law requiring these charities to disclose the identities of donors, violates the First Amendment. Answering who is buying a politician or an election is becoming perhaps even more difficult than casting a vote.
Thank you for highlighting the historical parallels to SCOTUS' devastating today. Racism is alive and well in the pro-right wing SCOTUS that the previous administration bequeathed to us. Maybe this is the time for President Biden to increase the number of judges on that hallowed bench. Nothing can be accomplished without a more balanced judicial membership. Not. One. Single. Solitary. Thing! Nothing!
As a British person following this column with huge interest, and worry, I am really grateful for the comment that the 'confederate lobby' stole and distorted the word 'Socialism' in 1871 to mean, apparently, any sort of social intervention which might have a redistributive effect, and above all one which would shift the balance of power against their side within the states. It seems to me that this gives an understanding as to why the USA seems to have a fear of 'socialism' which is to us totally irrational and bigoted, and which extends way beyond any meaning we would accept for the term. It has to be kept as a term of tribal belonging, as opposed to rational discourse, so that the rich can persuade the poor to support them.
“The mere fact that there is some disparity in impact does not necessarily mean that a system is not equally open or that it does not give everyone an equal opportunity to vote.”
Are you freaking kidding me?!?! 😡 That is EXACTLY what it means! If “John” can no longer vote because he doesn’t have a car to get to the poll, and it is no longer legal for someone with a car to deliver his ballot, then he has effectively lost his right to vote.
This is a disgraceful decision.
I think it’s also time for Biden to seriously consider adding 4 more justices to the Supreme Court.
Hearing the SCOTUS decision yesterday filled me with dread, much like the day I was diagnosed with cancer. I knew then, what I know now, we are in for a long painful fight with no certainty that it will end well.
Today is a day of reflection and gathering inner strength. Tomorrow the fight begins. We have numbers on our side. Strategy, will and hard work are what’s needed now.
The following is from an article by David Badash posted on Alternet:
"Ezra Klein, in his New York Times opinion piece Thursday titled "The Rest of the World Is Worried About America," spoke to scholars of democracy from other countries.
"I'm positive that American democracy is not what Americans think it is," David Altman, a political scientist in Chile, told me. "There is a cognitive dissonance between what American citizens believe their institutions are and what they actually are."
“Today’s decision by the Supreme Court undercuts voting rights in this country ... and makes it all the more crucial to pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore and expand voting protections.”
President Joseph Biden
It is imperative to heed President Biden's words, and more, to do all that we can by writing to and placing pressure on our representatives in Congress. The previous president shouldn't be given the last word!
“Our democracy depends on it.”
Morning, all!! Morning, Dr. R!! As Gayle King (CBS) would say, "There's a whole lot of ugly on our plate." That said, I'll get right to it.
As a lead-in to this article, the Washington Post commentator (I forgot her name!) acknowledged the media's penchant for delivering only bad news. So with that in mind, she sent us subscribers this column that describes the many legislators who have put laws in place expanding voting rights for their states. It's a lot!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/voting-rights-expansion-states/2021/06/22/1699a6b0-cf87-11eb-8014-2f3926ca24d9_story.html
This one has a map(!) showing in shades of green which states where it's easiest to vote to which are harder. The article was written in October 2020, so not sure where it all stands now: https://bigthink.com/politics-current-affairs/states-easy-voting?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1
This one is another explanation in the same ilk as we have been hearing/reading:
https://www.theroot.com/supreme-court-upholds-restrictive-arizona-voting-laws-t-1847213916
I can't help but be proud of Virginia leading the way on voting rights. But this is not a heaven I wish to be in when my fellow country-people are being suppressed.
I’ve tried to stay away from commenting because so many people find my comments to be cynical or overly pessimistic, but it’s incredibly hard to not feel that way after yesterday’s Supreme Court decision. We are heading back to the era of Jim Crow legislation, and with the high court now having green-lighted openly prejudiced legislation, other red states will now follow suit with laws which are likely to be even worse. We all know how horrifyingly close the last election was. Just imagine if similar (or worse) bills are now passed in Pennsylvania, or Michigan or Wisconsin. The goal all along has been to legislate the Democrats right out of existence and establish permanent Republican control of the country. Thanks to yesterday’s despicable decision by the Supreme Court, that goal is now within reach for the Republicans (and cue my ever- growing anger at Senators Manchin and Sinema for their role in all of this).
Thank you, again, HCR, for the history lesson illuminating current events.
There is a screaming irony in the party of Lincoln, openly, energetically, seeking to undo what was achieved at enormous cost of blood and fortune in 1865.
Pride goeth before a fall, with shame following close behind.
I’m amazed that Alito could write this with a straight face, “The mere fact that there is some disparity in impact does not necessarily mean that a system is not equally open or that it does not give everyone an equal opportunity to vote.” That there is disparity in impact (by design) means the system is NOT open and equal. The impact of a law on different groups is how you measure its equality.
What Alito meant (but didn’t exactly say) is that “the suppression of minority (Democratic) voters is camouflaged in this law so that we Republicans on the Supreme Court can pretend that it doesn’t exist. Go GOP!”
Dear Heather -
I’m not at all certain that digging into a thriller before bed is a good idea, but, thanks to your Letters from an American, it’s what I do. Today’s chapter was yet another doozy.
What filled me with a measure of pride today, was listening to President Biden’s press conference following his and Jill’s meeting with anxious and grieving families in Surfside, Fl. Such a terrible circumstance requires a kind, empathetic and helpful response. Thank you Mr. President and First Lady.
Any Republican Qevin McQarthy (R-Oklafornia) would nominate would probably be on the list of those traitors to be subpoenaed as witnesses.
Perhaps the way around these more restrictive laws is for Dems to focus on getting younger people to vote. That means getting them interested in signing up. We have a "democracy" in the US, yet compared to other countries our participation in the voting process tends to attract about 48% of the eligible population. This past election, 2/3s voted or 63%... because of the Trump turmoil, still What happened to the 1/3 that didn't bother to vote despite being registered?
Please do not comment on or engage with trolls here (Sandy Lewis is but one). It only serves their purpose of posting here and elevates their comments in the conversation thread. Best to ignore them as background noise.
The Court also issued a decision in Americans for Prosperity v Bonta that decreases transparency into dark money in politics. The decision, in a case brought by one of the Koch brothers ‘charitable’ entities, concludes that a California law requiring these charities to disclose the identities of donors, violates the First Amendment. Answering who is buying a politician or an election is becoming perhaps even more difficult than casting a vote.
Dear Professor HCR,
Thank you for highlighting the historical parallels to SCOTUS' devastating today. Racism is alive and well in the pro-right wing SCOTUS that the previous administration bequeathed to us. Maybe this is the time for President Biden to increase the number of judges on that hallowed bench. Nothing can be accomplished without a more balanced judicial membership. Not. One. Single. Solitary. Thing! Nothing!