Social progress unveils the politics of political chicanery
By Derek Joy
Isn’t it interesting how the Fourth of July came and went amid so much political turmoil in America?
People of color mulled over the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“This landmark piece of legislation, outlawing racial discrimination and segregation, broke down barriers and opened doors of opportunity for all Americans, said Congresswoman Fredericka Wilson (Dem., Dist. 24).
“While we have come a long way since the days of segregation and Jim Crow, the vestiges of injustice still linger. Young minority men are being disproportionately incarcerated, income inequality continues to grow and hard fought voting rights are under attack.”
The holiday gave me the opportunity to forget all of that, yet ponder it all as I joined my brother-in-law – Fred Reaser and my sister, Mamie – at the Reaser Family Reunion.
You see, Fred and Mamie’s grandchildren didn’t experience the hardships of segregation and discrimination. Crystal graduated from F.I.U., Brittni just graduated from New York University Law School, Keith II, a graduate of F.A.U., was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers, and Khairi is about to enter college.
Obviously, they all benefitted from those gains resulting from the Civil Rights Act of 1964. And so have others in the family who came from as far away as Detroit, Mich., Rochelle, N.Y., New Jersey, Alabama and Georgia.
Yes, each of those states, and many others, see the all out onslaught against voting rights that Republicans are waging. They foolishly down play the value of the right to vote.
“If voting is really nothing, then why are so many Republicans trying to suppress your right to vote,” Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (Dem., Fort Lauderdale) told an audience at gubernatorial forum at New Birth Cathedral of Faith recently.
That is certainly worth considering. For sure, Republicans will have a mind-boggling answer full of nonsense. May-be, just maybe, they can explain House Speaker John Boehner’s threat to sue President Barack Obama for what he claims is a failure by the President to faithfully execute his duty.
In chastising Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi for filing suit to eliminate the Affordable Health Care Act in Florida, Hastings offered a perspective to Boehner’s senseless threat a-gainst President Obama.
“These are the same people who have voted against Obamacare 52 times. We should sue him for doing nothing. What they’re really doing is being nasty,” Hastings said.
Boehner and his Republican cohorts find time to attack President Obama, the AHCA and civil and voting rights of Black Americans, while doing absolutely nothing about immigration reform.
Granted. America is a country of immigrants. But there comes a time when something has to be done. After all, illegal immigration is as a much of a crime as drug trafficking/dealing.
Yet illegal immigrants seldom go to jail. Instead, we so often find immigrants – both legal and illegal – secure gainful employment while Black Americans remain unemployed at unreasonably high rates.
So, where is the equal protection under the law?
