All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
I find it difficult to take the measure of American politics today without wondering why and how Conservatives feel the need to (and justification for) disenfranchise voters who only crimes are being poor, minority, and unlikely to vote Republican? It’s as if Conservatives have recognized (and implicitly admitted) that they cannot compete on the issues. They have no ideas, no constructive proposals to offer…and so they’ll seek to seize and maintain power by running afoul of the 14th Amendment (if not violating it completely). They understand that they likely won’t rise to power by moral, ethical, and perhaps even legal methods, and so they’ve decided to simply things and make an end run around the Constitution.
If you listen to Conservatives spouting Right-wing talking points, you’ll hear serious people speaking seriously about “voter fraud” and the need to protect the integrity of our elections. Except the only threat to electoral integrity is coming from the Right. Democrats aren’t the one trying to purge voters rolls. They’re not the ones passing Voter ID laws which have the effect of placing (in some cases insurmountable) hurdles in front of those whose only transagression is the desire to exercise their franchise and right as an American and vote. Instead of working to create ways to increase voter turnout, instead of trying to pass legislation that would increase participation in American democracy, Republicans have chose instead to take an astonishingly anti-democratic and self-interested tack.
The tactics chosen by Republicans shouldn’t come as a surprise, of course; the GOP is not a party that values dissent or critical thinking. All one need do is to listen to most any news program to hear the GOP talking points of the day, repeatedly incessantly and rotely by those who’ve clearly been instructed to do so. Conservatives value order, authority, and obedience above all else. It’s not about what’s best for America; it’s about whatever it takes to seize, control, and maintain power. Period. No dissent asked for, allowed, or tolerated.
There’s just one thing I can’t seem to manage to wrap my head around. How is it that the GOP, the party that purports to revere the Constitution, can be working so diligently to pass Voter ID legislation that stands in clear violation of that same Constitution’s 14th Amendment?
Perhaps it’s because they care about the Constitution only as much as they need to in order to create a permanent Conservative majority? In the end, it’s not about democracy; it’s about power…because if you don’t control it, you can’t create a world favorable to the interests of your wealthy supporters and, ultimately, your own enrichment.
It seems that democracy is for losers and Liberals.
