Let the people vote: Part two
Voting rights are human rights. This Congress can take a stand for inclusion by passing the For the People Act. Let’s see if it does.
The history of the United States is, in part, a history of the tension between inclusion and exclusion in the political process. From the moment “all men (sic) are created equal” was codified on the page, the Constitution manifested this tension.
And, in many ways, this is the history of humankind: the story of who has power, who wants power, what they will do to keep or gain it, and who is excluded from power.
The European (mostly British) men who founded the United States saw the world through their own culture and context. They wanted a different system than the ones they fled; but by no means did they want every human to have an equal voice. Women, non-White people, even non-landowners were considered worthy of being governed, but not of governing.
But the idea that every human living within a governing system should have an equal voice in the construction and operation of that system grew, nonetheless. This idea was most certainly not invented by the men who wrote what became our Constitution. Other societies had thrived in human history that were even more inclusive. And when the promise of participation met the challenge of an economy based on enslaved labor, joined quickly by the burgeoning industrial revolution, the tension between elite control and democratic participation played out in the context of rampant capitalism.
“Race” as we know it is a concept invented as part of the rationalization of the use of enslaved labor. And race entwines with restrictions on political representation since the United States was founded. In many ways, the insistence on strict definitions of race, gender, sexuality, and other “categories” are part and parcel of the intention to restrict power to those deemed worthy of exercising it. If the folk can choose not to conform to these definitions, you see, how can their place in the hierarchy be determined?
And this is where we find ourselves now. Congress has the opportunity to pass sweeping voter inclusion legislation in the For the People Act - legislation that would also limit the effect of dark money on elections and prohibit partisan gerrymandering; an effort that could be stopped cold by fifty Senators who represent a shrinking minority of Americans. Senators who are part of a party that is throwing up a last-stand mentality, defending the position that only the elite have the right to govern.
The “big lie” that the 2020 election was riddled with fraud meets the “big lie” that voter restrictions equal election security. In a way, they are right: voter restrictions make elections more secure for minority, elite rule. And thus, the tension embedded in our democracy since its inception continues.
In light of the horrific events in Atlanta this past week, it bears repeating: violence begins with dehumanization. Excluding folk from voting contributes to dehumanization.
Voting rights are human rights. This Congress can take a stand for inclusion by passing the For the People Act. Let’s see if it does.
Below the photo, more resources on the For the People Act, the minority representation in the Senate, and the history of voting rights in the U.S.
As always, thank you for being part of this exploration. Be safe, be well, enjoy the first week of spring in the northern half of our beautiful planet.
Annotated guide to the For the People Act - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/policy-solutions/annotated-guide-people-act-2021
History of minority representation in the Senate -https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/02/gop-senators-havent-represented-a-majority-since-1996.html
History of voting rights (written in 2019) - https://www.carnegie.org/topics/topic-articles/voting-rights/voting-rights-timeline/