Many Republicans, especially ones in elected office, are afraid of democracy. It is a bold statement to be sure. But how else is one to read the concerted effort by state, local, and national officials – abetted by some conservative judges and now the Supreme Court – to suppress the right to vote?
Of all the injustices of this era, and there are almost too many to count, this one infuriates me more than most. Because this is about undercutting the very lever by which Americans can voice their objections and change the course of the nation. This is what democracy is supposed to be about.
But the Republicans are intent on using the perch of their offices to draw a line around enfranchisement and leave many of the more vulnerable members of society – the poor and minorities (groups that tend to vote Democratic) – on the outside. What are the Republicans so afraid of? It’s a tacit acknowledgment that their policies are not favored by a majority of Americans.
Men and women have suffered and even died for the right to vote. I knew some of them and they were fearless. But they understood that this was the right by which to right the historic and contemporary wrongs of this nation. Now we have a president who lies about widespread voter fraud – a shameful farce in the face of facts. The idea of voter fraud has always been about laying a foundation based on flimsy conspiracy theories to undercut our Constitutional protections.
Luckily our laws do not allow for the level of disenfranchisement we saw during Jim Crow, to say nothing of previous eras. And what this means is that there is still a chance for Americans to rise up and focus like a laser on upcoming elections. Put politicians in place who will extend the vote and not undercut it. And let the full flourishing of democracy to flower.
America at her best has always been a boisterous and rambunctious nation where the vote could be a tool for progress. The ballot box is a place where change can really happen and where we can join our fellow citizens in reinforcing the bonds of our republic.