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3/25/21
This week, Congress finally started work in earnest on the topic of voting rights. On Monday, the House of Representatives held a hearing on the topic of making Washington, D.C. a state, granting its 700,000 residents actual representation in Congress. On Wednesday, the Senate held a hearing on the House-passed H.R. 1, called the For the People Act, which would reform democracy in a multitude of ways, including protecting the right to vote against a series of anti-voting laws in red states known collectively as the "new Jim Crow." It would be an understatement to say Republicans are panicked by both the ideas of voting protections and D.C. statehood. After Donald Trump, the GOP understands their party exists because of racism and white grievance. Rather than try to moderate those views and appeal to more voters, they instead are laser-focused on trying to prevent people of color from exercising their right to vote. That means keeping D.C. from becoming a state and enacting a series of laws in states to make it harder for people, especially people of color, to vote. Clearly, separating voters of color from the ballot is a top priority for Republicans. And yet, all week, Republican arguments against both bills were a joke, ranging from outright denials of reality to arguments so ridiculous that it was surprising they were able to keep a straight face while making them.
The arguments made by Republicans and conservative activists against D.C. statehood, for instance, were so bad that even junior high school debate kids would be embarrassed to offer them. Rep. Jody Hice, R-Ga., in tones of maximized faux outrage, complained that D.C. would be the only state "without an airport, without a car dealership." That's not true, however, it does have a car dealership. What D.C. has is people — more people than states like Vermont and Wyoming. Congressional representation, after all, is not about car dealerships or farms, but about people. And despite their goofy arguments about airports and yard signs, it's the people of D.C. — who are 46% Black — Republicans really object to letting vote. But they know that outright saying so reveals their true motives, which are deeply racist and anti-democratic. Discussing a Georgia proposal to ban Sunday voting, an obvious effort to end the "souls to the polls" Sundays practiced by many Black churches in the South, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., decided to God-splain Christian ministers. She claimed Republicans are just interested in forcing people to "remember the Sabbath and keep it holy." A quick perusal of her Twitter feed shows that she's only too happy to cheer on college basketball games held on the Sabbath.
No they are not. This is all about exclusion, and mostly of people of color who vote more dems than Repug.All the Repubs are trying to do is make it harder to fraudulently vote, and I agree with that. There is not true hardship asking everyone to have a valid legal ID to vote. And asking that the signatures match isn't too extreme.
All the Repubs are trying to do is make it harder to fraudulently vote, and I agree with that. There is not true hardship asking everyone to have a valid legal ID to vote. And asking that the signatures match isn't too extreme.
Just go out that tell any black person they are too stupid to have a gov ID. Stand back a ways when you tell him that, and be prepared to run.
All the Repubs are trying to do is make it harder to fraudulently vote, and I agree with that. There is not true hardship asking everyone to have a valid legal ID to vote. And asking that the signatures match isn't too extreme.
Ram the voting rights act through.
I would just like to point out that Helix was one of many center/left-of-center posters who were initially hostile to eliminating the filibuster for any reason. The extremeness of Republicans’ antidemocratic behavior is forcing everybody else into the “abolish the filibuster“ camp, and conservatives are too blinded by their thirst for power to see it.
Every new voter suppression law, every new video of black lawmakers being dragged away by the police, is another nail in the coffin of the filibuster.
Well, the fact that you were forced into this position basically assumes that you’re not thrilled about it.I'm still not thrilled about it. However, Republican states are basically declaring war on the process, and it has to be stopped.
Is that why GA is cancelling early Sunday morning voting? To prevent fraud? No, it's clear to anyone paying attention that that is a direct attack on the Souls to the Polls program that black churches often organize on early Sunday mornings.All the Repubs are trying to do is make it harder to fraudulently vote, and I agree with that. There is not true hardship asking everyone to have a valid legal ID to vote. And asking that the signatures match isn't too extreme.
Every time I think you've made the dumbest post of the day, you go and outdo yourself.Just go out that tell any black person they are too stupid to have a gov ID. Stand back a ways when you tell him that, and be prepared to run.
So what is the point of closing polls early, or making it illegal to bring food and water to those waiting to vote? Hint...Do you ever see extended lines at the 'white' precincts in GA?All the Repubs are trying to do is make it harder to fraudulently vote, and I agree with that. There is not true hardship asking everyone to have a valid legal ID to vote. And asking that the signatures match isn't too extreme.
That is far from "All" they are doing. Very clearly the Georgia GOP could not get out enough voters last time so they are doing the only thing they can and eliminating voters from the other side, that way if they get the same amount of votes next time they can win.All the Repubs are trying to do is make it harder to fraudulently vote, and I agree with that. There is not true hardship asking everyone to have a valid legal ID to vote. And asking that the signatures match isn't too extreme.
All the Repubicans are trying to do is make it harder to fraudulently vote, and I agree with that. There is not true hardship asking everyone to have a valid legal ID to vote. And asking that the signatures match isn't too extreme.
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