Last week the U.S. Supreme Court effectively gutted the Voting Rights Act. States that had previous violations or racially based problems needed to ask the Federal Government to move or change anything about where when and how people voted. The Court bascally said the law was not necessary because there are not as many racial issues as when the law was made. Not giving any recognition that it was because the law that these problems were reduced.
Republicans, who already seem to have moral issues, were handed a huge moral question by the Supreme Court. The GOP has been attempting an outreach in order to attract minority voters to stay competitive in Presidential Elections. The decision put Republicans directly between state autonomy, which is a newfound wish of Republicans, and the law’s popularity with minority voters. Of those voters are the focus of the Republican outreach.
National Republican party Chairman Reince Priebus began the effort well before the court’s decision. He promised to hire minorities to engage with minorities to bring their vote to the Republican side. State and national Republicans reacted to the decision by showing the party’s true feelings toward minorities. At State level Republicans are putting tighter voter restrictions in place. Democrats blast these actions because of their unDemocratic nature and how they violate the Constitution.
North Carolina and Virginia are perfect examples of possible problems for Republicans because of their policies. Minorities helped turn these Republican strongholds into battleground states, won by President Obama in the last 2 elections. President Obama beat challenger Mitt Romney by about 85% among African Americans and by about 44% among Latinos. It seems as if Republicans are only interested in winning the Presidency through cheating, because they most certainly haven’t changed any policies or how they speak if minorities.
Leaving the fate of the Civil Rights Act in the hands of Republicans makes me very uncomfortable. The old Republican party may have supported Civil Rights, the new Republican party does not. They have been on the wrong side of almost every Civil Rights the last 20 years. Most especially the last 10. Several Republican lawmakers across the nation said the Voter I.D. Laws would ensure them a victory by preventing minority votes. They also tried shortening voting hours and early voting. These issues alone show the direction the GOP will take. Our nation; Bill of Rights and Civil Rights will all suffer.
