By DL White
Nothing can be changed until it is faced, and everything faced will not be changed
Civil Rights Activist & Author James Baldwin
The days when a rational Supreme Court could review, articulate and come to some reasonable understanding of the law, appear far spent. The current Supreme Court is not conservative it is a GOP-Donald J. Trump created band of individuals bent on changing the law. The Earl Warren Court of 1954, appointed as all Courts by Republican and Democrat Presidents alike ruled to eliminate discrimination public education โ Brown V. Board of Education (May 17, 1954).
Warren appointed by then President Ike Eisenhower who was fierce, did the right thing regardless of who nominated him to the bench.Roll the clock forward, and those Justiceโs appointed by one Donald J. Trump, appear to be โBeholding to him?โA question often asked to potential jurist to the highest court in the land is how they feel, or what is their perspective on cases that have become the standard of law in the land. To a person, the response is patented โIT would be difficult or not the norm to change or modify the law as set by a previous court.โ
Well, Supreme Court, that is exactly what you did not once but twice and centering on a third such matter, striking down a womenโs right to choose what she can do with her own body in Roe V. Wade. The Court also struck down Affirmative Action in College applications. However, the legacy clause still exist (Affirmative Action for non-Blacks and those not of Color, those who could attend Colleges back in the day because of who they were). Preference (percentage points) is given to those whose Fathers, mothers, grandfathers and grandmothers, etc, attended a particular collegeโฆโฆ..Affirmative Action by another name (Legacy)!
The Roberts court struck down key parts of the Voting Rights Act only to have those same states listed for improper actions to limit, prevent and block the standard right of voting to take place in a growing number of States across the country. After the election in 2020, the GOP in Arizona filed lawsuits against Maricopa and Pima county election officials. The lawsuits stated that county recorders werenโt following a standard for giving voters the chance to fix problems with their ballots. The lawsuit was settled out of court. False claims that the election (2020) was stolen continue to circulate in communication and conversation by Trump (MAGA) supporters who despite, Courts across the country affirming the election was legitimate and all ballots counted properly, no fraud, the lies lives on.
With voter suppression on the rise in several states across the country and efforts to influence and or prejudice the vote as demonstrated in North Carolina and Georgia, more must be done nationally and locally to ensure the integrity of the vote. Several states were identified in the 1965 Voting Rights Act with a propensity for practicing and encouraging racial discrimination in their voting practices.
Section 4 of the VRA, established stringent remedies to address such issues while Section 5 of the Act held โpre-clearanceโ or the need for any proposed voting change, having to presented to the Justice Department or federal court in Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court struck down and weakened the Voting Rights Act as oppositional groups held it was no longer necessary to have the precautionary measures of Section 4 and 5 reinforced?
Arizona, while not one of the initial seven states was listed as a subdivision as voting members of a single language minority constituted more than five percent of the citizens of voting age. Bills and challenges calling to identify Arizona as an English only state were perceived as direct attacks to the subdivision ruling. Arizona must also affirm a commitment to provide voters with adequate polling places and voting booths during primary and general elections to prevent long lines and major delays in voting.
Georgia legislatures passed a Bill during the last election cycle that prohibits individuals standing in long lines from receiving water or using a chair to rest. Alabama and other Southern states passed Legislation that struck down Voting on Sundays, which grew in popularity a decade or more ago. From the Pews to the Polls, witnessed an unprecedented number of Voters casting votes on Sundays across the state.
Two years ago, under Speaker Nancy Pelosiโs watch, the Democrat House of Representatives passed the John Lewis Voting Rights Act as well as the George Floyd Police Reform Act, only to have the Senate (at the time โ which held a GOP majority, stall the Bill) Conversely, now that the GOP is in the majority in the House and continue to hold a slight lead in the Senate, both Bills continue to lack the support necessary to pass.
The Supreme Court chose not to hear appeals from courts across the land on the need to strengthen the Voting Right Act. The GOP laced court chose to hear matters that involve former President Trump. The Court recently ruled states cannot make decisions that impact individuals seeking Federal Offices. Colorado and Michigan held that Trump was an insurrectionist and thus should not be on the ballot. Unfortunately โ the Senate in 2017, and 2018 and again in 2020 failed to convict Trump on serious charges. Impeached but not convicted.
The former President has taken over the GOP and had his daughter-in-law placed on the National Republican Committed and she is vowing to use the parties money for Trump legal wows. Shameful. The once proud conservative party of Arizonaโs own Barry Goldwater, Senator John McCain, and others, as well as former GOP Presidents, Reagan, Nixon, Bush, and others would turnover in their graves if possible with the turnabout of conservatism to Trumpism.
A sad day indeed!
D.L. White is the author of Discovering The SAUNK in U and The Sensational Letter S!
