"Sweet Home Alabama" My Ass: How About Raw Voter Suppression

Map of the state of Alabama

(county display)

So, there is no more racism in America, or no GOP focus on voter suppression, or no need for DOJ oversight into irregularities of the Voting Rights Act (i.e., correct, Mr. Chief Justice). Ha think again.

The heart of this story is taken from here, and it’s pretty simple and easy to follow, and the message is clearly stated: It is another sneaky backdoor (semi-legal) method by the GOP to suppress the vote and win an election at any cost, part:

“By the end of the year, it is anticipated that only 4 DMVs will be open in the state, and none of these offices will be in counties where 75% of the population is African American. These remaining DMV offices will be absolutely flooded with new applicants and wait times will dramatically increase. Wait times will increase and be particularly harmful for low-income workers (who cannot afford to take time off) and the elderly (who cannot comfortably wait in the DMV).”

“The discriminatory nature of the DMV closures will make it far harder for many African American residents across the state to obtain a driver’s license or state identification card.”

More on voter suppression can also among this list from my other posts and from the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU here.

My site links related to this subject (NOTE: Some sites may not be valid or up to date, if so, sorry, but the contents are nevertheless still valid):

• http://www.weaselwart.blogspot.com/2014/10/two-parties-two-views-two-paths-to.html
• http://www.danzview.blogspot.com/2014/10/gop-red-herring-state-productions.html
• http://www.danzview.blogspot.com/2014/10/reminder-for-republicans-who-advocate.html
• http://www.politicalrapids.blogspot.com/2014/10/ussc-gets-voter-id-laws-wrong-again.html
• http://www.politicalrapids.blogspot.com/2014/10/how-to-neuter-wisconsin-gop-weasel.html
• http://politicalrapids.blogspot.com/2014/09/how-to-protect-voter-rights-not.html
• http://politicalrapids.blogspot.com/2014/09/fox-news-need-another-reason-to-be.html
• http://danzview.blogspot.com/2014/07/right-to-vote-still-under-gop-assault.html
• http://www.danzview.blogspot.com/2014/07/big-money-competing-goals-for-congress.html
• http://www.danzview.blogspot.com/2014/07/uncontrolled-money-in-our-political.html
• http://www.danzview.blogspot.com/2014/06/bohica-kochs-open-up-wider-floodgate_28.html
• http://www.danzview.blogspot.com/2014/03/citizens-united-iii-mccutcheon-v-fec.html
• http://www.danzview.blogspot.com/2014/03/memo-to-gop-voters-will-win-you-will.html
• http://www.danzview.blogspot.com/2014/02/suppress-vote-with-harsh-id-laws-to-win.html
• http://www.danzview.blogspot.com/2014/01/gop-voter-suppression-movement-oozes.html
• http://www.danzview.blogspot.com/2013/06/back-to-future-redux-ussc-voting-rights.html
• http://www.danzview.blogspot.com/2013/12/nc-leads-on-voter-rights-leads-straight.html
• http://www.danzview.blogspot.com/2013/11/infamous-gop-wars-really-honest-cross.html
• http://www.danzview.blogspot.com/2013/10/gop-wars-aca-women-students-voters-poor.html
• http://www.danzview.blogspot.com/2013/10/citizens-united-part-ii-worst-is-about.html
• http://www.danzview.blogspot.com/2013/08/gop-and-5-4-supreme-court-voter.html
• http://politicalrapids.blogspot.com/2013/02/gop-election-strategy-block-vote-or.html
• http://www.danzview.blogspot.com/2013/07/gop-win-in-2014-suppress-vote-and-then.html
• http://www.danzview.blogspot.com/2013/07/north-carolina-armpit-or-cesspool.html
• http://www.politicalrapids.blogspot.com/2012/08/pa-voter-hall-of-fame-hall-of-shame.html
• http://www.politicalrapids.blogspot.com/2012/08/gop-we-must-stop-voter-fraud-look-inward.html
• http://www.weaselwart.blogspot.com/2012/08/jimmy-gee-old-poo-crow-redux.html
• http://www.politicalrapids.blogspot.com/2012/08/pa-judge-voter-id-law-okay-although.html
• http://www.danzview.blogspot.com/2012/06/voter-suppression-issue-with-legs.html
• http://www.weaselwart.blogspot.com/2012/06/uncle-sam-plea-red-states-ignore-him.html
• http://www.weaselwart.blogspot.com/2012/05/find-weasels-in-herd-of-elephants.html
• http://www.weaselwart.blogspot.com/2012/06/voter-purge-florida-now-texas-who-is.html
• http://politicalrapids.blogspot.com/2012/11/oh-lord-its-hard-to-be-humble-when.html
• http://www.danzview.blogspot.com/2012/06/voter-suppression-issue-with-legs.html
• http://www.danzview.blogspot.com/2012/05/voters-under-attack-all-accross-land.html
• http://www.danzview.blogspot.com/2012/03/gop-rw-tea-fake-voter-fraud-red-herring.html

This kind of opened up the flood gates as it were: June 25, 2013 (ironically the same date that the Korean War started in 1950): The Supreme Court struck down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act (Shelby County (AL) v. Holder).

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion in the 5-to-4 decision. The court found that the VRA's formula for deciding which jurisdictions should be subject to pre-clearance is unconstitutional, SCOTUS blog explains, because while the formula was rational in the 1960s, it's not anymore.

In other words, things are different in the South today (I note: we are again finding out that reasoning is a bit off).

Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy the research on this critically important topic, and the song, too... sorry it does not match reality today ("Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd - 1974).