“If you’re too sorry or lazy”
Speaking of Alabama, and voting, and voting rights, and Shelby v Holder, and voting rights, and voting rights, and voting rights…
This time last year, Alabama’s chief elections official landed in the national spotlight for delivering a screed against nonvoters that many people interpreted as an attack on African Americans in the state, who have long faced barriers to voting. “If you’re too sorry or lazy to get up off of your rear and to go register to vote, or to register electronically, and then to go vote, then you don’t deserve that privilege,” Republican John Merrill said in an interview with documentary filmmaker Brian Jenkins. Jenkins had asked why he opposed automatically registering Alabamians when they reach voting age, and his response sizzled with anger toward people who “think they deserve the right because they’ve turned 18.” So he made a pledge: “As long as I’m secretary of state of Alabama, you’re going to have to show some initiative to become a registered voter in this state.”
“If you’re too sorry or lazy to get up off of your rear”…yeah that’s about as clear a dog whistle as you could ask for. That’s not meant to conjure up a mental image of sorry lazy white people.
And he’s been doing what he promised, too.
When the votes are tallied Tuesday night, what won’t be counted is how many people might have voted if not for the restrictive voting laws in place in the state. In a close election, the actions of Merrill and the GOP could help elect Moore.
Well that’s the point, isn’t it. Exclude as many black people as possible and elect racist shitheads.
In recent years, Alabama Republicans have taken steps to protect their grip on power by making it harder for African Americans and Latinos to vote. They passed a law requiring voters to show a government-issued photo ID, a measure that has been found to disproportionately disenfranchise African Americans and Latinos, who are more likely to lack such an ID and face impediments to getting one. The ID law also applied to absentee voting, which is used by many elderly black voters in rural counties, who now must mail in copies of their photo IDs with their ballots.
In rural counties, where there aren’t shops with copy machines on every corner – where, in fact, the nearest copy machine is probably a long drive away. That’ll block a lot of votes!
They reformed campaign finance laws to weaken the political organizations that mobilize African American voters. They closed 31 DMV offices across the state, disproportionately affecting rural majority-black counties.
Since Shelby v Holder Alabama has closed about 200 voting precincts, making it a bigger pain to vote in the ones that remain.
White supremacy isn’t dead yet.
It’s a gift that keeps giving. Close the DMV’s and people in those areas are more likely not to have a drivers license, which reduces their ability to gain lawful employment through either not driving, or driving, but not being able to take on work as a driver. It will also push up the number of people fined/convicted for driving without a license, thus criminalising an ever greater number of people, making it harder for them to get employment and justifying all those sneering comments about certain types of people (i.e. brown ones).
Plus, since when did voting become less of a right than carrying a gun in a democracy?
Since the end of the Civil War? Suffrage didn’t help too much, either. Voting has never been considered a “right” here except for white male people, and the fact that uppity blacks and women have grabbed the right to vote is galling to those that have been legally entitled to vote since the birth of democracy – males who happen to be of the proper pigmentation (or actually, lack thereof).
I have no doubt that Shelby v. Holder also played a role in the rise of the current monstrosity in the White House, since more than 800 voting places around the country were closed down. Our polling place was the busiest I’ve ever seen it, and I didn’t see anyone else but me likely to be voting for Hillary. The cars in the parking lot also suggested the same…bumper stickers, y’know (and Confederate flags, in a state that was NOT part of the Confederacy).
I still think that anyone displaying that flag should be convicted of treason against the USA, being an idiot, being a racist, having questionable taste and being an idiot. I know only one of those is an actual crime, but fuck free speech, the South lost. That goes double for people who live in northern states.
… being an idiot, or being an idiot? ;)
Rrr, I couldn’t figure out how to fit it in three times (pushed for time). :-)
No, I’m the idiot. Hit Submit before realizing the second idiot was qualified with questionable taste.
(I guess that’s the latest in qualifications now? There’s at least one shining example in a golden tower) :-/
New Zealanders are, or used to be, known for understatement. Something absolutely appalling would be described as ‘a bit rough’. Conversely, the best thing ever might be described laconically as ‘nice’.
Consider the context of ‘questionable taste’ and ‘idiot’ against treason, racism and misogyny and amplify while throwing in other descriptors with greater emotional weight covering similar behaviours and attitudes and we’re getting close to how I feel.
Incidentally, I’ve become much less laconic as I’ve got older. Has anyone else found that with themselves?
(BTW, having seen you comment for years, you’re definitely no idiot)