![Voter ID: The Third Reconstruction]()
Voter ID: The Third Reconstruction
Educate, organize and mobilize: I’m continuing to search for a way to get community participation in our efforts to prepare for our voting challenges in November, 2016 and our standing challenge to create community wealth.
Recently, the issues of Voter ID and voter suppression have started a new round of debate. Two things have come to my attention and led to my participation in Facebook discussions on the issue. One topic was the North Carolina campaign to draft Dr. Ben Carson as a candidate of president; the other was a letter to the editor recently published in the News and Observer in which the writer argued that Vote ID is fair and that requiring it is not racist.
In the letter to the editor, the writer argued that there was no good reason why every qualified person should not have to have identification in order to vote. She continued, “Requiring an ID is not racist…” However, there are numerous “good” reasons given to oppose Voter ID laws. A very good reason is that the Constitution determines what qualifies a person to vote and the basic qualification is citizenship. Voter ID laws impose an added and unnecessary barrier to voting. Another good reason is that many otherwise qualified citizens don’t have acceptable ID and many cannot get one. The myth of voter fraud is the main argument for Voter ID and the fact that the fraud doesn’t exist is determinative against such laws. The Brennan Center is the authority on voting rights and elections and has developed the best source of researched information on the subject of Voter ID and voter suppression. (See link # 1 below).
Regarding her contention that Voter ID is not racist, it is necessary to put racism in its rightful historical context. My contention is that Voter ID is voter suppression and in order to determine if its racist you have to determine whether voter suppression was ever racist, and if so when did it stop being racist. I’ve written several articles on the Third Reconstruction addressing voter suppression dating back prior to the 1638 “Doctrine of Exclusion.” (See article at link #2 below).
Regarding Dr. Ben Carson being recruited to run for President, please consider those who are recruiting him; among others, there are Black Republicans. My concern is that he and other Black Republicans are aiding and abetting voter suppression. They do this by sitting quietly by as Republican legislatures are enacting voter suppression laws. By remaining quiet on the issue of voting rights, the Black Republicans are giving their party the appearance of fairness and diversity. Why would Black voters support candidates that are hard at work trying to destroy Martin Luther King’s greatest accomplishment, the Voting Rights Act of 1965? (See article at link # 3 below).
Those of us that have seen Selma and understand our history of voting have to hold Black Republicans and the powers that be, accountable for protecting our voting rights. They should be fighting for strengthening the Voting Rights Act, the crown jewel of the Era of the Second Reconstruction.
But giving the Republicans credit, their voter suppression efforts are having great success. That means that the pursuit “by Blacks” of the American Dream and wealth creation are becoming more and more difficult. In promoting and supporting strategies and activities that will lead to defeating voter suppression and acquiring Black wealth, I continue to suggest that the resistance coalesces under the banner of the Third Reconstruction. To that end, going forward, I will be addressing voting, jobs and economic empowerment as resistance components of the Era of the Third Reconstruction.
GDN covers news that is vital to unrepresented and underserved communities. We need your financial support to help us remain viable.
Peter Grear, Esq. writes for Greater Diversity News with a primary focus on politics and economics. To support our efforts, to marry our politics and economics, please “Like” and follow us at www.facebook.com/VoteYourEconomics. “Share” our articles and post your ideas and comments on Facebook or at our website www.GreaterDiversity.com. Comments can also be sent to [email protected]. Finally, please ask all of your Facebook “Friends” to follow our above-referenced recommendations.
Links:
1.http://www.brennancenter.org/issues/voting-rights-elections
2.http://thethirdreconstruction.com/2015/01/22/the-third-reconstruction-vs-the-new-confederacy/#more-43
3.http://thethirdreconstruction.com/2015/01/22/the-silence-of-modern-day-black-republicans/#more-45 •
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Voter ID: The Third Reconstruction
Recently, the issues of Voter ID and voter suppression have started a new round of debate. Two things have come to my attention and led to my participation in Facebook discussions on the issue. One topic was the North Carolina campaign to draft Dr. Ben Carson as a candidate of president; the other was a letter to the editor recently published in the News and Observer in which the writer argued that Vote ID is fair and that requiring it is not racist.
In the letter to the editor, the writer argued that there was no good reason why every qualified person should not have to have identification in order to vote. She continued, “Requiring an ID is not racist…” However, there are numerous “good” reasons given to oppose Voter ID laws. A very good reason is that the Constitution determines what qualifies a person to vote and the basic qualification is citizenship. Voter ID laws impose an added and unnecessary barrier to voting. Another good reason is that many otherwise qualified citizens don’t have acceptable ID and many cannot get one. The myth of voter fraud is the main argument for Voter ID and the fact that the fraud doesn’t exist is determinative against such laws. The Brennan Center is the authority on voting rights and elections and has developed the best source of researched information on the subject of Voter ID and voter suppression. (See link # 1 below).
Regarding her contention that Voter ID is not racist, it is necessary to put racism in its rightful historical context. My contention is that Voter ID is voter suppression and in order to determine if its racist you have to determine whether voter suppression was ever racist, and if so when did it stop being racist. I’ve written several articles on the Third Reconstruction addressing voter suppression dating back prior to the 1638 “Doctrine of Exclusion.” (See article at link #2 below).
Regarding Dr. Ben Carson being recruited to run for President, please consider those who are recruiting him; among others, there are Black Republicans. My concern is that he and other Black Republicans are aiding and abetting voter suppression. They do this by sitting quietly by as Republican legislatures are enacting voter suppression laws. By remaining quiet on the issue of voting rights, the Black Republicans are giving their party the appearance of fairness and diversity. Why would Black voters support candidates that are hard at work trying to destroy Martin Luther King’s greatest accomplishment, the Voting Rights Act of 1965? (See article at link # 3 below).
Those of us that have seen Selma and understand our history of voting have to hold Black Republicans and the powers that be, accountable for protecting our voting rights. They should be fighting for strengthening the Voting Rights Act, the crown jewel of the Era of the Second Reconstruction.
But giving the Republicans credit, their voter suppression efforts are having great success. That means that the pursuit “by Blacks” of the American Dream and wealth creation are becoming more and more difficult. In promoting and supporting strategies and activities that will lead to defeating voter suppression and acquiring Black wealth, I continue to suggest that the resistance coalesces under the banner of the Third Reconstruction. To that end, going forward, I will be addressing voting, jobs and economic empowerment as resistance components of the Era of the Third Reconstruction.
GDN covers news that is vital to unrepresented and underserved communities. We need your financial support to help us remain viable.
Peter Grear, Esq. writes for Greater Diversity News with a primary focus on politics and economics. To support our efforts, to marry our politics and economics, please “Like” and follow us at www.facebook.com/VoteYourEconomics. “Share” our articles and post your ideas and comments on Facebook or at our website www.GreaterDiversity.com. Comments can also be sent to [email protected]. Finally, please ask all of your Facebook “Friends” to follow our above-referenced recommendations.
Links:
1.http://www.brennancenter.org/issues/voting-rights-elections
2.http://thethirdreconstruction.com/2015/01/22/the-third-reconstruction-vs-the-new-confederacy/#more-43
3.http://thethirdreconstruction.com/2015/01/22/the-silence-of-modern-day-black-republicans/#more-45 •