Friday, Jan. 14, 2022 | 2 a.m.
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Can anyone take exception to the remarks of the late Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., that “The right to vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool or instrument in a democratic society”?
Those who take exception refuse to recognize the history of voting rights:
• The Declaration of Independence recognized that all men are created equal;
• The Constitution identified “we the people,” not only WASPs, and the 15th Amendment in 1970 ratified that the right to vote shall not be denied or abridged on account of race or color;
• The Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed discriminatory voting practices, a provision of which was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013;
• Jim Crow laws that attempted to legalize racial segregation were struck down between 1877 and mid-1960s;
• Then-President Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election and received only 9% of the African American vote;
• Democrats introduced the John Lewis Voting Rights Act of 2021 to correct any constitutional defects in the Voting Rights Act. It is opposed unanimously by Republicans; and
• Republican-controlled states have passed legislation suppressing the right to vote by minority groups.
For African Americans who fought the long fight for voter equality, the sacred right is the way to participate in and protect our democracy. It should not be impeded by Trump, who wants to steal the 2024 election and replace our democracy with autocracy.
Congress must pass the John Lewis Voting Act of 2021.
