Voting, U.S. Senate Bill 1

It is anticipated that additions will be made to this post, specifically about Church and State, and Jobs.  Consider checking back at this space by the weekend.

POSTNOTE, June 23 8 a.m.:  See first comment at end of post, and read America Impossible.  America is not “them”; it is everyone of us.

Pre-Note:  Take the time for the on-line discussion on racism with Letoya Burrell on Wednesday June 30 at 6-7 p.m. CDT.  Details here, scroll down.  No cost.  Preregistration is requested.  Join the conversation.

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It has taken virtually the entire history of the American democracy, 234 years, to enfranchise almost all categories of American adult citizens.  The struggle continues.  This is no time, there probably never will be a time, to relax.  Citizens must be active.

This afternoon about 5:30 p.m. EDT, begins the first vote in the formal process of working towards a more perfect union. At the same time there is aggressive action, primarily at state, but also national, level to diminish and even eliminate hard fought gains, making it more difficult and more confusing for certain kinds of people in certain places to exercise their constitutional rights.

The issue is Senate Bill S-1, summarized here.

An excellent entry point to learn more is here, Indivisible.org.  

Those who will be voting on the future of this bill are people elected by citizens like ourselves.  Our Senator should be our focus.  All the rest is argument.  Get involved.

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Sunday night we watched the 2014 outstanding film, Selma, about the Civil Rights era around Voting Rights.    It remains available on-line and well worth your time as a refresher, or as a first time primer on the issue of Civil Rights.

COMMENTS (more at end of the post).

from Joyce, a must read from Heather Cox Richardson for June 22, 2021.

and another, from Joyce: Six annoying words” from Digby, June 24, 2021

Just Above Sunset June 25: Beyond the Anger.

from Joyce: “Confident Assertions” – the Weekly Sift

POSTNOTE June 27, 2021: There is a seeming never-ending litany of additions I could make to this post: Power and the Catholic (and Baptist, and other church) leadership power struggles; who should be able to vote…or not…in this country; the Pulse nightclub now a national monument, and the ongoing conversations during Pride month, and on and on and on.  Let me summarize with a lawn sign long in a daughters front yard in a twin cities suburb.  It speaks volumes, in these times.

June 25, 2021 Apple Valley MN

7 replies
  1. Mary A Maher
    Mary A Maher says:

    The vote is in….dead in the water….not even a chance to debate. States/precinct need to prepare to really fight for voter rights and voter participation but fight at the state and local level. There appears to be no path to expecting help from the federal government in assuring that the playing field is leveled and gimmicks and poll place games are exposed. Unfortunately we will have some of the major congressional roadblockers still in place – like McConnell – in 2022. I voted today in a local primary. My precinct has 3256 eligible voters, 2600 registered voters – 2/3 democrat or republican and 1/3 independent, I was the last person to vote today. I was number 36. Pathetic.

    Reply
  2. norman hanson
    norman hanson says:

    Assuming that we all really want every eligible citizen to be able to vote with whatever accommodations are necessary to assure that opportunity, then the bill would seem to be the vehicle to assure that right especially during this time of the Big Lie when so many GOP controlled states are trying to pass legislation to make sure that only the “right people” can vote…an effort that on the face of it and on every other surface is so ante-American! On the other had, the supporters of the man-child were encouraged to overthrow democracy and the Constitution on January by that little man who just wanted to be king, is all! Pathetic!

    Reply
  3. Ken Thimmesch
    Ken Thimmesch says:

    What’s wrong about the “voting rights bill” is that should be named “the voting wrongs bill”. No voter ids needed, vote as many times as possible, collect many mail in ballots to fill out yourself, permit illegal citizens to vote, after hours manipulating ballot counting, restrict partisan poll watchers, prepare hundreds of pre-filled ballots, file any lawsuit in a liberal court, cover windows to hide vote counting, flood the mail with thousands of mail-in ballots on voting day to delay vote counting and give time to discover “lost” ballots all for one candidate, etc. They say Republicans play badminton, but Democrats play hardball. As Stalin said “The people who vote decide nothing, people who count the votes decide everything”.

    Reply
    • norman hanson
      norman hanson says:

      Where is the beef, Ken, that substantiates your claims? Not just Trump’s Big Lie but real evidence? I am sure that you can provide such really and actual documentation otherwise you would not make such claims.

      Reply
  4. Al DAHLQUIST
    Al DAHLQUIST says:

    Setting aside Democrats & Republicans. Why are ID’s not required. At my home where we have two people residing we received 13 forms to apply for mail in voting. 11 were from the Democratic party and most were sent from out east I think it was Pennsylvania, with a return address on Robert St in St Paul. Two came from the GOP. Everyone should have an ID and they should carry it at all times. So what is the problem with that one?

    Reply
    • dickbernard
      dickbernard says:

      As you know, I e-mailed a reply to you on June 24. What I said then is below. As of this date I have no response from my League of Women Voters contacts. I’ll let you know if I hear more. As Norman said to Ken in this thread, “Where is the beef…?” Please note also my response to your comment on this same issue, received today, June 26. Thanks again for raising the question.
      I’ll pass this on to my LWV folks as well.
      June 24: “What is your evidence that non-citizens vote? I’d like to know. Are you talking about federal, state, local, or all elections? Maybe there can be different rules for different elections. Our ballot includes all races for all levels, I highly doubt there is any non-citizen vote even by accident. Sometimes there are local elections not in Nov. Occasionally these happen for school board elections, for instance. Even there, I doubt there’s an exception.
      For this kind of issue, it is difficult to impossible to find something fair and unbiased. Cato is a libertarian organization. https://www.cato.org/blog/noncitizens-dont-illegally-vote-detectable-numbers. Note that this was published in November, 2020. I pick this because this is certainly not a Democrat front organization.
      Even allegations are almost non-existent now.”

      Reply
  5. dickbernard
    dickbernard says:

    to Al Dahlquist
    Al, this was your reply e-mail to e on June 26: “Without pointing fingers. I know it happens. There is nothing at all to stop them. They even get forms like I did to register to vote by mail. You don’t have to prove you are a Citizen to vote, I never had to, I don’t think I even had to prove my age to register that was a long time ago so I don’t remember exactly. Voting is a privilege and a right for Citizens no matter who they are. And yes no Citizen should be kept from voting!”
    What I commented earlier remains. I found another source that covers the topic in great detail: Brennan Center
    From a statistical point of view there is no fraud. On the other hand, it is impossible, in a country as large as ours, to totally eliminate problems.
    I have one single experience assisting someone with absentee application. It was in 2020 during the pandemic. Our friend across the street, who is 91, needed help. I have no reason to remember exactly, everything, except I was very diligent and careful to make sure everything was submitted correctly, and when the ballot actually came that everything was sent exactly as it was supposed to be sent. Don (the friend) has lived at the same address for over 30 years and is a fairly regular voter. If I were to follow the process for him from the point of getting the general letter from somebody that he could apply for absentee, through the time that our county approved the application and sent and later received and processed the ballot, I am sure there were many steps that single ballot took to be recorded as one citizens vote. (I have also been an election judge, so I know that process as well. Procedures are meticulous.). We as citizens are extremely well served in all ways, most especially in the sanctity of the ballot. Unfortunately, who would want to serve in the position after this past year? Again, thanks for you comment.
    PS: re the “13 forms to apply” that you mention. We got some of those too – not nearly that many. There is nothing wrong with that, and an invitation to apply is not the same as a ballot. Thankfully, there are people and groups out there encouraging people to exercise their franchise.

    Reply

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