SCOTUS rules section 4 of voting rights act unconstitutional

[Jack Davenport]

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...court-decision-on-voting-rights-act.html?_r=0

 

[Sam Fisher]

Excellent! :nanner:

 

[Jagger69]

Shame on our lazy. worthless, do-nothing congress for not attending to the required updates. Serious pressure from civil rights groups will force them to do so sooner than later. In the meantime, the Texas Reich is taking license to gerrymander voting districts to the benefit of right-wing candidates. Democracy in action....

Just two hours after the Supreme Court reasoned that discrimination is not rampant enough in Southern states to warrant restrictions under the Voting Rights Act, Texas is already advancing a voter ID law and a redistricting map blocked last year for discriminating against black and Latino residents. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott issued a statement declaring that both measures may go into effect immediately, now that there is no law stopping them from discriminating against minorities.

In 2012, the Justice Department blocked these measures under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. Federal courts agreed that both the strict voter ID law and the redistricting map would disproportionately target the state’s fast-growing minority communities. Still, Texas filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court over the Voting Rights Act case complaining that the DOJ had used “abusive and heavy-handed tactics” to thwart the state’s attempts at voter suppression.

In the case of the new electoral map, a panel of federal judges found that “substantial surgery” was done to predominantly black districts, cutting off representatives’ offices from their strongest fundraising bases. Meanwhile, white Congress members’ districts were either preserved or “redrawn to include particular country clubs and, in one case, the school belonging to the incumbent’s grandchildren.” The new map was also drawn in secret by white Republican representatives, without notifying their black and Latino peers. After the court blocked the map, the legislature approved small changes to appease Democratic lawmakers last week. Now that they are free to use the old maps, however, Gov. Rick Perry (R) could simply veto the new plan and use the more discriminatory maps.

The strict photo ID requirement blocked by the DOJ and a federal court would require Texans to show one of a very narrow list of acceptable photo IDs. Expired gun licenses from other states are considered valid, but Social Security cards and student IDs are not. If voters do not have an ID — as many minorities, seniors, and poor people do not — they must travel at their own expense, produce their birth certificate, and in many cases pay a fee to get an ID.

Thanks to the Supreme Court, the DOJ no longer has any power to block these laws, even with the backing of federal judges who found blatant discrimination. Under the remaining sections of the Voting Rights Act, individuals may sue to kill these measures, but only after they have gone into effect and disenfranchised countless Texans of color.

According to the 2010 Census, non-Hispanic whites have become a minority in Texas, down from 52.4 percent to 45.3 percent of the population. Latinos have accounted for 65 percent of the state’s population growth over the past decade. Projections show that the eligible voter pool will shift to roughly 44 percent white voters and 37 percent Hispanic voters by 2025. Faced with this demographic reality, conservatives have alternated between changing their messaging to appeal to Latino voters, who overwhelmingly supported Democrats in 2012, and making it harder for them to vote.

It is only a matter of time before other states with voter ID laws and other election law changes blocked by the DOJ last year follow Texas’ example. Besides Texas, the attorney generals of Alabama, Arizona, South Dakota, and South Carolina argued that the Voting Rights Act was getting in the way of their ability to enact discriminatory laws.

Bold emphasis is mine. Some of you may be surprised to learn that I actually have no issue with the voter ID portion of the legislation. However, redistricting for political purposes is abominable and would be if it slanted things toward liberal candidates as well if that were the case. Seems like our society is in retrograde right now. Weird.

Note to the republican party: Does the name "Custer" mean anything to you? Eventually, you will be overwhelmed by people who will likely not soon forget things like this.

 

[HappyHapyJoyJoy]

Shame on our lazy. worthless, do-nothing congress for not attending to the required updates. Serious pressure from civil rights groups will force them to do so sooner than later. In the meantime, the Texas Reich is taking license to gerrymander voting districts to the benefit of right-wing candidates. Democracy in action....

Well, we all know that no one should use the tools of authority to alter the political field and we would all be incensed at the notion of it...

... you know, so long as the tool is the IRS and it's directed at The Right. In this case it's cool though, so whatev, right?

 

[Jack Davenport]

The problem is that this has been the most overreaching DOJ when it comes to issues of race that I can remember. And the other problem is that all of these actions brought by the Obama DOJ have been focused on red state legislation. There should be some middle ground and the concession for the liberal wing should be voter ID and for the conservative wing it should be less of a confrontational approach to legislation that will alienate parts of the electorate.

Holder is doing Obama's bidding and explains why he fights tooth and nail for him to remain AG.

The only thing that will make red state legislators wake up and smell the coffee is more ass kickings in elections.

 

[Jagger69]

Well, we all know that no one should use the tools of authority to alter the political field and we would all be incensed at the notion of it...

... you know, so long as the tool is the IRS and it's directed at The Right. In this case it's cool though, so whatev, right?

I guess it's all about whose ox is being gored, huh? Talk about a double-standard. Disgusting....

The problem is that this has been the most overreaching DOJ when it comes to issues of race that I can remember. And the other problem is that all of these actions brought by the Obama DOJ have been focused on red state legislation. There should be some middle ground and the concession for the liberal wing should be voter ID and for the conservative wing it should be less of a confrontational approach to legislation that will alienate parts of the electorate.

Holder is doing Obama's bidding and explains why he fights tooth and nail for him to remain AG.

The only thing that will make red state legislators wake up and smell the coffee is more ass kickings in elections.

I can't argue with this. I am so sick of this extreme partisanship. Both sides are guilty without question. There's no "reaching across the aisle" at all.

I do think the backlash against the republicans will be the order of the day since the demographics are completely against them. They had better wake the fuck up and understand that these alienation tactics may work with their base but that base is being rapidly outnumbered and will be overwhelmed in short order if they don't start reaching out in some fashion. Old angry white Christians are not going to be able to represent a plurality of voters anymore.

 

[Philbert]

Neither are angry Black Christians, or angry white Liberal 18-20somethings.
Only the Messicans are gonna have the power.

Redistricting is so done by both parties all the time...who really points a finger at the Right?
Oh...

 

[Straight Shooter]

This effectively cripples the Voting Rights Act. It flies in the face of a mountain of evidence of ongoing disenfranchisement-from voter-ID laws to intimidation and long lines at the polls - and the fact that Republican legislators continue to push laws designed to disenfranchise targeted communities. The conservative majority's tortured logic relied on statistical evidence of reduced inequities between whites and minorities in voter-registration rates, but as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg noted in her dissent, voting discrimination has declined because of the effectiveness of the Voting Rights Acts. Without these protections to derail attempts to roll back the clock, new setbacks are inevitable.

 

[Philbert]

You mean... the Democrats are gonna bring back no rights for minorities or women, and Racist orgs like their most successful Ku Klux Klan? Oh,nooooooooooo Judge Icecube.




(It's probably too much to expect any actual specifics on just HOW the conservatives are gonna keep the darkies from voting...that's what you mean, right?)

 

[Jack Davenport]

This effectively cripples the Voting Rights Act. It flies in the face of a mountain of evidence of ongoing disenfranchisement-from voter-ID laws to intimidation and long lines at the polls - and the fact that Republican legislators continue to push laws designed to disenfranchise targeted communities. The conservative majority's tortured logic relied on statistical evidence of reduced inequities between whites and minorities in voter-registration rates, but as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg noted in her dissent, voting discrimination has declined because of the effectiveness of the Voting Rights Acts. Without these protections to derail attempts to roll back the clock, new setbacks are inevitable.

If you are going to rip off an article and state it as your own thoughts at least don't rip off the first one you find LMAO

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics...-what-can-protect-minority-voters-now/277232/

 

[Philbert]

I just noticed this outright lie Jagger posted in his post.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott issued a statement declaring that both measures may go into effect immediately, now that there is no law stopping them from discriminating against minorities.

Care to post a link where Greg Abbott said that?

 

[Jack Davenport]

I just noticed this outright lie Jagger posted in his post.



Care to post a link where Greg Abbott said that?

That sounds a lot like the comment that Jagger put in bold text earlier in his post and he probably forgot to do the same to that portion also. He noted that which was in bold was his opinion. I may be wrong but I tend to give Jagger the benefit of the doubt.

As for Iceman




<crickets>

 

[Jagger69]

Redistricting is so done by both parties all the time...who really points a finger at the Right?
Oh...

Of course, you are well aware that the right happens to be carrying the big stick in Texas and has been for a long, long time. As I stated in my response to BC's post, both sides are guilty of this type of blatant partisanship whenever they get the chance. Hence my "gored ox" reference.

I just noticed this outright lie Jagger posted in his post.

Care to post a link where Greg Abbott said that?

Sorry, I forgot to post the source (which I normally do when I quote something). It's not an "outight lie". I got it from an op-ed piece. The source for Abbott's statement is the New York Times. Here are your links:

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/20...ghts-act-texas-ag-suppresses-minority-voters/

http://projects.nytimes.com/live-dashboard/2013-06-25-supreme-court#sha=88a62b0c2

From the latter link:

Within two hours of the Supreme Court’s decision on the Voting Rights Act, Greg Abbott, the attorney general for the state of Texas, announced that a voter identification law that was blocked last year by the Justice Department would go into effect.

“With today’s decision, the state’s voter ID law will take effect immediately,” he said in a statement. “Redistricting maps passed by the legislature may also take effect without approval from the federal government.”

Again, bold emphasis is mine. Sorry for the omission.

 

[Jack Davenport]

Jagger >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Iceman

 

[darkwarrior3007]

This effectively cripples the Voting Rights Act. It flies in the face of a mountain of evidence of ongoing disenfranchisement-from voter-ID laws to intimidation and long lines at the polls - and the fact that Republican legislators continue to push laws designed to disenfranchise targeted communities. The conservative majority's tortured logic relied on statistical evidence of reduced inequities between whites and minorities in voter-registration rates, but as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg noted in her dissent, voting discrimination has declined because of the effectiveness of the Voting Rights Acts. Without these protections to derail attempts to roll back the clock, new setbacks are inevitable.

If you are going to rip off an article and state it as your own thoughts at least don't rip off the first one you find LMAO

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics...-what-can-protect-minority-voters-now/277232/

Ouch, busted.

 

[vodkazvictim]

Gay people should not be allowed to marry.

For their own benefit.

 

[D-rock]

On one hand I think there should be fairness in how voting laws are set up, and when the laws were set up decades ago I don't think I would have disagreed with it at the time. However, at what point do we not have to hold certain states in unequal regard on this issue? Do thousands of years have to pass and a written statement of rightdoing from God be given to the federal government on those states behalf before we can say they are good now? If we are honest with ourselves doesn't the law just seem like something that would have otherwise been perpetually over the head of a few states if this ruling went the other way, almost no matter what those states would have done?

I would be more willing to set up laws like that if it required every state to follow them to ensure fairness to their people, and not just a handful based on what happened decades ago when society was substantially different.

 

[Straight Shooter]

As for Iceman




<crickets>

You got me Blue. My life is now over now that I lifted a paragraph from an article and posted it on a porn forum. Please don't turn me in Blue, please!........translation: Get a life

 

[Jack Davenport]

You got me Blue. My life is now over now that I lifted a paragraph from an article and posted it on a porn forum. Please don't turn me in Blue, please!........translation: Get a life

Did your mommy write that for you?

 

[Straight Shooter]

Did your mommy write that for you?