The Voting Rights Act

[attackfish]

I have many many thoughts about the US Supreme Court's decision to strike down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act, most of which involve profanity.  I find myself so angry that I am unable to coherently argue why this is a horrible, horrible thing.  I will however say this.  One of the arguements that Cheif Justice Roberts used to claim this provision was no longer fair was that Black voter turnout was higher than White voter turnout now in many of the areas affected by Section 4.  This is equivilent to someone getting new glasses, looking around at how well they can see everything, and deciding their vision problems have been cured now and they don't need their glasses anymore.

Comments

[weirdlet.livejournal.com]

Much the same. I find myself continually spluttering at the sheer ridiculousness of the things that are happening despite protest, things that go against any kind of sense or logic. And how fast it's turning into classic cyberpunk dystopia.

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

I feel like I'm living in a Kurt Vonnegut novel.

[lavanyasix.livejournal.com]

On the one hand, as long as Congress authorizes new criteria for Section 4, the VRA is still intact. So it's not a total wash-out. It could even cover new tricks like Voter ID laws.

On the other hand -- Congress.

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

On the other hand -- Congress.

Exactly.

[lalunatique.livejournal.com]

This is equivilent to someone getting new glasses, looking around at how well they can see everything, and deciding their vision problems have been cured now and they don't need their glasses anymore.

I tried that and it turns out I still need my glasses to see. Why?! HOW CAN THE SUPREME COURT BE WRONG

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

*foams at the mouth with rage*

[frith_in_thorns]

This is equivilent to someone getting new glasses, looking around at how well they can see everything, and deciding their vision problems have been cured now and they don't need their glasses anymore.

Surely more like someone getting new glasses and everyone else telling them that since they can see perfectly well now clearly they don't actually need glasses and snatching them back again lest it give them an unfair advantage.

HOW THE SYSTEM TREATS PWD IS NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE EXPANDED INTO OTHER AREAS.

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

"You don't seem like you're depressed to me, why are you still taking those poisonous psychoactive drugs?" And then later, when I have to go off them because we couldn't find a drug that didn't give me seizures, "If you were really depressed, you'd be on medication."

WHY IS EVERYBODY SO RIDICULOUSLY GOOD AT THIS KIND OF DOUBLETHINK? WHY DOES EVERYBODY THINK THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO PISS ON DISADVANTAGED GROUPS?

Surely more like someone getting new glasses and everyone else telling them that since they can see perfectly well now clearly they don't actually need glasses and snatching them back again lest it give them an unfair advantage.

My school experience in a nutshell.

Seriously, I put up with that crap every day, and now I see the Supreme Court pulling it on others, and I'm like "No, no no, die in a fire."