In 1965 the United States Congress passed the Voting Rights Act that gave the justice department the right to legally challenge voting practices and policies in states that had a history of racist voter suppression laws and intimidation of potential black voters.
Undeterred by their racist past, the white Republican controlled Alabama legislature did virtually the same thing this year their predecessors had done prior to 1965, drawing a redistricting map that put most black voters into one district while establishing seven white majority districts.
Six weeks ago the Supreme Court ruled (barely) that the map violated the Voting Rights Act, agreeing with a lower court ruling’s that had struck it down.
The response of the white Republican controlled legislature was not contriteness in the least. Instead, the white majority drew a new map that essentially ignored the Court’s ruling, keeping the one majority black district while shifting a larger percentage of black voters into predominantly white districts which will actually dilute the voting power of the black community even more.
Their action left no doubt that racism is alive and well in Alabama. Who knew?
This kind of behavior by MAGA Republicans who are the majority in the party tell the truth about Republicans they refuse to acknowledge, that the party is racist in actions and policies, if not in attitude, the two hardly being separable.
In short, racism now defines the Republican Party. In one red state after another, white Republicans are doing whatever they can to limit or dilute the black vote in the name of a lie that they are making voting safer.
Since 2021 they have passed 34 voter restrictions laws while in Democratic controlled state legislatures voting laws have made voting easier, especially via expanded mail-in balloting.
The state of American politics in 2023 is that America’s racial divisions fall largely along the lines of our two major political parties. Republicans are preventing black Americans from voting and Democrats are expanding their voting rights.
Just as disturbing is the fact that the conservative controlled Supreme Court came close to supporting Alabama’s racist voting districts (Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, and Barrett).
Republicans defend themselves by insisting they are not being racist in their actions, they are simple trying to eliminate the issue of race as a factor to be considered when laws are passed and policies are implemented.
Why? Because, they say, the country is passed the days when racism was so overt that it corrupted courts and laws and state governments.
It’s the same argument Chief Justice Roberts made when the majority struck down that portion of the Voting Rights Act that required states with a history of racism to get pre-approval from the justice department before making changes in their voting laws.
“Times have changed,” Roberts said. Well, yes, of course, they had, but in many instances racist attitudes had not. I often wonder what Roberts thought about his own argument when the day after the Court issued its ruling bills aimed at making voting harder for minorities were submitted in 13 Republican controlled states, a number that has more than tripled since.
The truth is, Republicans are excusing their racist actions with the audacious claim that they are doing just the opposite, trying to be “color blind” while Democrats are injecting race into issues.
If that were true, then Republicans should answer these questions:
Why are you still blocking the passage of an updated 1965 Voting Rights Act?
Why did you support the Supreme Court striking down Affirmative Action in college admissions?
Why did you say nothing when Senator Tommy Tuberville said some people call “white nationalists” by that name while he calls them “Americans?”
Why won’t you distance yourself from white nationalists or neo-Nazis?
Why do you remain silent when your colleagues in Florida want history books to say slaves benefited from slavery?
Why are you silent as Republican Governor of Texas puts illegal buoys with razor wire on the Rio Grande when illegal immigration has dropped 70% under the Biden administration policies?
Answer these questions, and I will have others waiting for your response as well. That’s how extensive the evidence is of your racism.
It may be true that not all Republicans are racists, but every Republican who remains one without challenging the racist actions of their colleagues cannot complain when others see them as complicit in them.
But here is another critical point about MAGA Republican racism and how it now defines the entire Republican Party.
Not only should it be clear that elections have consequences, just as important is understanding that they are both individual and collective moral choices.
Elections reflect the moral character of the voter, and, collectively reflect the moral character of the nation. Voting is not a morally neutral act. It is a profoundly moral one.
Think about that for a minute. Every time you and I vote, we are making a moral choice about what kind of character our nation will have based on the moral character each of us has already.
That is an awesome responsibility. It means we are affecting the kind of nation in which our children and grandchildren will be living as adults.
Having lived through the civil rights era of the 60s and saw first-hand the ugliness of racism in America, it is stunning to me to see MAGA Republicans trying to take our country back to those awful days.
It causes me cognitive dissonance when I hear Republican voters deny they are racists while continuing to vote for people who support laws that are racist in intent and content and stand silent in the face of overt racist actions such as the razor wire buoys placed in the Rio Grande by a Republican governor.
Nothing is more morally offensive that when people claim to be one thing yet do another and then get upset when the rest of us tell them their words have no integrity or credibility.
Whatever else can be said about the 2024 election, the fundamental truth about it is that it will be a history-making moral choice for the nation, perhaps the most important one since the Civil War.
Will we choose leaders at all levels who have a vision of an America determined to continue the hard work of achieving racial justice or will we choose leaders who see race as an issue to be used to divide the nation for political gain?
As partisan as it sounds, but in fact isn’t, that choice will necessarily be between a MAGA Republican and a Democrat.
linnposts.com 
Well stated.
Thanks, Mel.
Of course you are right, Jan. Voting is a moral choice. Faux Christians support the Orange Menace. How the justify that is beyond me. Is there no one in the Republican party that has a valid conscience?
Chris Christie does, and perhaps Larry Hogan, former MD Governor, but until they speak up, we must assume no one in the Congress does and none of the other candidates running for the Republican nomination do. Sad state of affairs, isn’t it?
There is no question that Democrats hold the moral high ground in our country. We Democrats, along with right-minded non-MAGA Republicans and Independents must vote at all levels for candidates who will ensure that Donald Trump is never reelected president! Failing that, our democracy is in peril!
Thanks Jan for keeping this matter in front of us, lest we let our nation lose it’s place as the greatest nation in the world!!
Bill Blackwell
I wonder, Bill, why every American, and I do mean everyone, doesn’t see it the same way as we do. It’s astounding that even one American would support a man who tried to stay in power illegally and would do it again if given the chance.
All excellent points, Jan. Thanks! Kay
Thank you. Kay.
Couple years ago, Georgia’s new voting laws were deemed so restrictive and racist that our esteemed president called them Jim Crow 2.0. In truth, they were less restrictive than Massachusetts and more black Georgians cast their vote in 2022 than ever before
The southern border has been just another of the adjective failures of the Biden administration. There have been more illegal crossings during his time in office than at any other point in our history. Who enters our country is decided by Mexican drug cartels. Human worth is measured in dollars. There are 1.3 million immigrants released into this country and no one knows where they are. Immigrants from 150 different countries cross our southern borders now. The UN has declared this the most dangerous border in the world due to deaths, like the 54 who died in the back of a van. New York, a sanctuary city until they actually had to become one, called it quits after 80,000 immigrants. That’s about a month’s total for Texas.
Do agree that this next election is important. Despite the efforts of the DOJ and MSM, Americans are starting to see the corruption and moral laxity surrounding the Biden family. This is an immoral man who doesn’t even have the decency to acknowledge one of his grandchildren. That said, if the republicans nominate Trump, Biden will easily beat him
Thank you, Ed, for sharing this propaganda. In case you want to know, Massachusetts has very liberal voting laws, including allowing convicted felons to vote once they’ve served their time, no excuse early voting, and mail in ballots, and late registration using a variety of IDs. More Georgia black voters in 2022 because they were determined to overcome the restrictions Republicans put in place. On immigration you’ve cheery picked numbers that distort the fact that at the moment illegal crossings are down 70% in the last year by Biden ending Title 42, the emergency powers act for health reasons that sent immigrants back to their own country or to Mexico without a hearing. Critics said if Biden ended the policy, the dam would break for illegal immigration. Just the opposite has happened because of other procedures Biden put in place. As for Biden’s corruption, you’ve obviously been drinking Trump cool-aid. For Trump to call Biden corrupt is equivalent to a hit man calling the police killers. Given the Republican record under Trump and McConnell, Republicans calling anyone else corrupt is about as hypocritical as it gets.
Thanks for sharing your hyperbole
I’ll keep your response to Biden corruption accusations in front of me.
And you wondered why his polling numbers are so low, even amongst democrats
Today there is almost no daylight between Q-Anon conspiracy theorists and the Republicans.
Jan,
Thank you for this clear, accurate statement of moral clarity.
In the third last paragraph you state: “…the fundament truth about [the 2024 election] is that it will be a history-making moral choice for the nation….” This fact ought to make every serious, loyal American approach the voting place with the heavy burden, yet clear-eyed, individual moral choice.
Thanks.
Gene
We can only hope the overwhelming majority will see just how serious the moment is, Gene.
We’ll said Jan. I’m reading the biography of Frederick Douglass now and find it so disheartening and frightening that many arguments used by “state’s rights” advocates and racists of the 1800s were very similar to what we hear today from many Republicans, and the majority of the SCOTUS. It seems this country, including “Christian’s,” may never fully and honestly deal with its awful past.
I think most of are willing to, Wilbur. It’s the MAGA Republicans who refuse to, just as they deny climate change is real or that trickle down economics is a bust. We just need to win every election until they become rational.
I cited statistics regarding our southern border during the Biden administration. You called it propaganda and accused me of cherry picking and distorting the numbers. You said, due to Biden’s new policies, illegal crossings were down 70%.
Statistics you don’t like isn’t propaganda. August set an all time record for illegal crossings. Sanctuary cities don’t want to be sanctuary cities anymore. Milton Friedman said a country can’t have both an open border and a welfare state
Neither you nor any Republican has any credibility in regard to immigration or border crossings when your party refuses to work on the issue in Congress so that you can complain about what Biden isn’t doing. Sighting statistics means nothing because many factors are involved in them. On example is the fact that in fiscal year 2022, over a quarter of all Border Patrol apprehensions involved migrants who had been previously arrested by the agency. In one report, many individuals are counting three or four times because of repeated efforts to get in the country. A solution to the problem has to have a comprehensive policy, but you Republicans don’t want that because it will take away one of your propaganda talking points.
It’s not just Republicans, only 23% of voters approve of Biden’s handling of the southern border.
Obama had a super majority his first two years in office, democrats could have passed any law they chose & did nothing regarding immigration