@coyote I see small snippets of the news online, and the only thing that crosses my mind is that it's all just churn for the masses. While I doubt there will ever be an "official" end to the obstructionists and those who would have us return to more oppressive times, they *are* finished and they know it. Everything we are seeing them do and try to do will ultimately fail; they know it, and we know it. The only thing we need to do for the next little while (a year, perhaps two) is keep reminding ourselves that everything we are seeing is a tempest in a teapot that will disappear in the end. It will end, and we will move forward, with or without them.
The picture I keep seeing in my head is of something slowly rising from under the sea, and the noise they are making is the waves and chaos on the surface that heralds its arrival. It will come, it will appear, and there's nothing they can do about it. As it comes up and is seen by more and more people, their cries and protests will become more and more shrill and desperate as their "truth" is broken, exposed, and destroyed. They only fight and scream and cry because they know that they and their way of handling things is quickly dying, and a new way - a better and inclusive way - will completely supplant them.
Virginia Governor Northam and the Democratic-led General Assembly, along with two GOP delegates and one Republican state senator, have successfully abolished the death penalty, becoming the first Southern state to ban its use. Some Republican legislators stated they would have supported ending the death penalty if the bill included a sentence of life without the possibility of parole, but Democrats insisted on maintaining flexibility in sentencing. Over the past 400 years, Virginia has executed more prisoners than any other state.
Gov. Northam has also made a significant change in restoring voting rights to 69,000 people convicted of felonies. The policy change no longer requires former prisoners to go through lengthy probations before qualifying to have their voting rights restored.
@deetoo - I too prefer to stay positive through all this obstruction. And yet, I am watching the reports on Rachel Maddow about the election law just passed in Georgia today. This law went through the house, the senate and on to the governor for signing. The signing was done behind a closed door. This law would make it possible for Republicans to change an election result if they don't agree with the results.
Other states are looking to pass similar laws. Please someone talk me down from the wall. Will this get overturned at the national level by HR 1?
If I am going to be arrested, I want it to be for giving water to people who are standing in line to vote in Georgia.
I had to stand in line 2 hours to vote for Hillary Clinton in 2017 for the AZ primary. We were all hunger and thirsty, nobody anticipated how long the line would be and it was dinner time. A pizza delivery company arrived multiple times with free pizza and water for the voters in line and I was grateful for the thoughtfulness.
I can't believe it is now illegal to give a voter in waiting line water or food in Georgia.
There's already a lawsuit to stop it. Link is to a short summary, and there's a link to the actual filing documents on the page.
https://www.democracydocket.com/cases/georgia-voter-suppression-bill/
If I am going to be arrested, I want it to be for giving water to people who are standing in line to vote in Georgia.
I think it will make an interesting experiment if crowds of people stage protests that involve giving refreshments en masse to voters waiting in line during the next Georgia election. And make sure there are news teams and documentarians standing by to film it.
Eventually the Federal Government may have to step in the way they did with desegregation, and send troops to the polls to enable all people to vote.
You know, I would consider traveling to Georgia just to participate in an organized "hydrate the vote" movement. Seriously. I love your idea Jeanne!
Also someone could stage celebrity visits to the lines. Popular singers singing, people like Oprah, making surprise visits, free hand-outs. Turn voting into an amazing celebration that no-one would want to miss.
And songs the voters can sing, in harmony, fugues, while they are all in line. Maybe Demi Lavato will write one. Games.
Make it a not-to-miss event of a lifetime.
And state-wide contests for which precinct has the greatest turnout.
American Idol of voter performance awards where voters sing and compete and get to be on national tv.
So what next. They'll have to pass a no singing near the polls law?
I hope President Biden will declare election day a national holiday. That would solve a lot of problems in one fell swoop.
As often happens...while reading about and feeling dismayed about these terrible voting laws, a verse of Scripture popped into my head.
In Genesis, Joseph speaking to his brothers who sold him into slavery:
“You meant evil against me, but God used it for good.” ...
If I am going to be arrested, I want it to be for giving water to people who are standing in line to vote in Georgia.
I think it will make an interesting experiment if crowds of people stage protests that involve giving refreshments en masse to voters waiting in line during the next Georgia election. And make sure there are news teams and documentarians standing by to film it.
Eventually the Federal Government may have to step in the way they did with desegregation, and send troops to the polls to enable all people to vote.
peaches! hehheh. since it is Georgia we will hand out peaches to the voters, and dare them to try and stop us.