Keeping Our Eyes on the Prize
Shiny objects distract us from the fragility of democracy
This year’s November election results will signal either:
our nation’s descent into a one-party system; or
new hope for the future of America’s democracy
This is not just a feeling. As of last month “49 states have introduced more than 440 bills that included provisions to restrict voting rights. And 19 states passed 34 laws making it harder for some to cast their ballots.”
Who are “some” voters? These bills and laws are “disproportionately affecting people of color and young people.”
Last November Governor Cooper vetoed North Carolina Senate Bill 326. If he had not done so, this year voters would have less time to request, and to mail, mail-in ballots. Ballots would have been thrown out if they were mailed before Election Day but received after Election Day (instead of the customary several days after).
Governor Cooper made the following statement on SB 326:
The legislature ironically named this bill 'The Election Day Integrity Act' when it actually does the opposite. Election integrity means counting every legal vote, but this bill virtually guarantees that some will go uncounted.
Why would legislators even try to pass a voter suppression bill? The truth is, the Republicans who sponsored SB 326 didn’t care if it passed or not.
What’s really important is that they feed the overarching Trumpian narrative about the supposedly dire threat to “election integrity” posed by the thousands (or is it millions?) of nefarious Black and brown people out there who just can’t wait to risk prison by committing mass voter fraud.
Of course, if it did get through the Governor’s Office, it would be even more effective as a state law.
I’m going out on a limb here and say that state legislative bills are less interesting (emotional) than, for example, Madison Cawthorn’s latest bid for attention and outrage.
And I’m going to say that voter suppression bills, along with one-party systematic gerrymandering, are more dangerous to our democracy than all the shiny-object (emotional) distractions of Cawthorn, CRT (Critical Race Theory) and Dr. Seuss books, for example.
If the object of one party is to take total federal power (in the name of states rights), as I think it is, what would America look like if they were to get it?
The real thing, the only thing, protecting our democracy is American citizens’ guaranteed right to vote and the right for all our votes to be counted.
How would a one-party Supreme Court weigh in on this?
There’s tremendous power in my anger and outrage over Cawthorn and over the countless other assaults on human decency of the past half-decade. So I’m trying to stay focused on working to get out the vote for our local and district candidates who believe in democracy.
The power in our unity for such a cause is tremendous.
You are 100% spot on, Deda!
We’re in the middle of the Atlantic in very rough seas with the slowest internet on earth (seemingly). While not directly on point, we’ve been watching a LOT of documentaries having re-watched every Humphrey Bogart film on board. Today’s postcard reminded me of one in particular— Oakland, CA’s MLK Oratorical Competition (K-12). If you haven’t seen that, please do—it will give you hope in our youngest generation (and their parents). It will make you joyful on some darker days. (Also recommend Jane Fonda in 5 Acts.)