Today is the 60th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Give Us The Ballot” speech. Now we face other obstacles. And millions are getting knocked off the nation’s voter roles. (I really suggest listening to this speech and think about where we are today. It’s very powerful.)
Now we face Trump’s new “Election Integrity Commission” headed by Vice President Pence and vice-chaired by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach author of Arizona’s notorious SB1070. The commission’s report is expected to be released in 2018.
Today, author Ari Berman who wrote Give Us The Ballot, the Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America, and who is also a senior contributing writer for The Nation magazine, was on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross to discuss the roots of Trump’s new commission and issues of voter disenfranchisement. It was a powerful program providing a series of compelling arguments and real stories about the problematic costs and often impossibly ridiculous series of hurtles one must jump to get a voter ID card. This in addition to the absolute lack of necessity for these changes given the near total absence of voter fraud.
Berman notes it’s not just voter disenfranchisement that is a problem but also voter suppression laws/efforts. Despite the recent Supreme Court win for voters of North Carolina, for instance, Slate reported just yesterday that efforts began immediately after the high court’s decision to write another bill that would suppress voting.
In some states voter suppression manifests through bills that effectually limit voter registration programs. In others it may be cut backs on early voting, stripping of voters from voter roles and other approaches that, importantly, harm people of color, both the young and elderly and voters who may be more transient particularly hard.
Berman also discusses Attorney Jeff Sessions and his attempted, but failed, prosecution of the Marion Three while a federal prosecutor in Alabama as well as actions on voting Sessions has taken since becoming Attorney General.
Robert Turner, the brother of defendant Albert Turner, blasted the indictments as baseless efforts intended to “dissuade Black people from voting.” Ultimately, Federal District Judge Emmett Cox dismissed 50 counts against the defendants due to lack of evidence before the jury acquitted the Marion Three of every single outstanding charge. (see link above)
Berman also discusses a number of Voter ID laws that are making their way through the court systems now. If you are interested in further reading, the Brennen Center for Justice has some fine research and compelling writing on the topic here.
I just can’t say enough about today’s Fresh Air program and it really is must-hear radio on the topic of voting. It’s important to remember that in several states, Clinton lost the vote by relatively small numbers, something Berman also discusses.
It’s no surprise that republicans are the source of voter problems given that changing demographics don’t work in their party’s favor. If we intend to win in 2018, we need to work against these suppressive and biased laws as well as gerrymandering.
NPR Terry Gross with Ari Berman: www.npr.org/…