President Lyndon Baines Johnson (recipient of presidential responsibilities due to the bad luck of assassinated President John Kennedy) had two daughters. They joined in writing a piece for the NY Times about saving the voting rights laws that had been put in place with so much bickering, delay and attempts to dilute their effect. There seems to be a sorting out of people into camps. On issues such as voting rights there are those who want them extended to be more inclusive and those who want them curtailed and made more exclusive. This is in the United States that is selling democracy in other parts of the world modeled on the U.S. example. I am confused and the rest of the thinking world is confused too.
Why should these Presidential siblings think it necessary to rehabilitate the image of their disgraced war-time father? There is no such movement in the camp representing the Bush family who got us INTO a war that continues on and on. At least, Johnson inherited a bad situation although he exacerbated it to the point where he left office in disgrace. You cannot win even if you are winning a war. In both the Johnson and Bush cases the outcome seems not to be even a draw but a devastating loss. That loss is in reputation of the country and change in history that bodes ill for future conflicts based on bad choices and adhering to them.
In the instance of the Johnson sisters, they are on the right track. I do not think there is anyone who can make a convincing argument that we should restrict rather than extend voting rights. Each year there are new potential voters who reach the age where they can vote IF they register. Each year in many states thousands of felons who lost their voting privileges are freed and they should be allowed to vote since they served their time. At least, this is what I think.
The manipulation of voting is a disgrace in this country. The courts in Texas have put their seal of approval of the Republican gerrymandering of districts so that for the foreseeable future this will be a one party state. In fact, it appears that the Republicans are doing all they can to make the future of this country a one party nation.
In 1965 during President Johnson’s term the Voting Rights Act was signed into law prohibiting discrimination. His daughters shed light on the practice which makes non-voters out of potential voters. They are telling us what we need to know. Little by little the erosion of rights of people are being pursued by those who would benefit – they are the few and powerful who want to be more and more powerful with fewer people having the right to vote. One person, one vote for countries we have invaded - but not here at home.