I love this country
Where else in the world, if not the galaxy, can you have a single person talk for hours and hours (apparently broadcast live – if that is not a prime candidate for “Get a Life”, I don’t know what is), to prevent a vote on a bill, and then – and then – the talker says something like “Today was democracy in action.” No, Ms (didn’t that “ms” used to stand for “manuscript”?) Davis, what you exhibited was despotism – Uncle Joe would have been proud of you. (One website characterized her performance as a “one-woman effort.” Ya think?) And this got a lot of ink (ok, not really “ink”) on the airwaves (well, the internet, anyway). It was all the buzz, or twitter or something.
Maybe there was a reason she had to stand alone?
Hand-in-glove of course were the rulings by SCOTUS. Funny how people who don’t give the Supreme Court of the United States a first thought, let alone a second thought, are all of a sudden, experts on their rulings. Wendy Davis reminds me a lot of Sarah Palin: they are both quick studies (not that they, apparently did much of that). SCOTUS, on the other hand is in another galaxy; go to their website, read what they have written – I dare ya. Deep? The Marianas Trench ain’t in it. So, how anyone can crow about how wonderful SCOTUS is, just by reading one headline is beyond me (I mean, knowledgeably; baring that, how about with a modicum of understanding?).
Don’t get me wrong: I applaud the overturning of DOMA. Some 1,100 federal laws are affected. No, and it’s not because I’ve never liked Slick Willy. Asking if marriage needs to be defended or not is asking the wrong question. But, all the back slapping about the end of that (questionable) law is superficial and superfluous.
SCOTUS also opined on the Voting Rights Act. Everything I’ve read shows that the issue discussed was entirely missed: that of using demographic data that is 40 years old. As Chief Justice John G. Roberts put it: “In 1965, the states could be divided into two groups: those with a recent history of voting tests and low voter registration and turnout, and those without those characteristics. Congress based its coverage formula on that distinction. Today the nation is no longer divided along those lines, yet the Voting Rights Act continues to treat is as if it were.” Basically, for those who can’t be bothered with a little research: this country has changed just a tad since 1965. If you don’t believe me, I guess you weren’t around in the 60s. The complaint that neither Texas nor Virginia can implement their own state voting laws because the feds have yet to approve them flies in the face of Davis’ filibuster.
Sadly, the one bit of news that should have been discussed was the execution of yet another convict in Texas – its 500th since 1982. While the Me-Me-Me crowd was applauding the Davis hijacking of the Texas senate, not a word was said about Texas leading the country with about 40 percent of the 1,300 executions held nationally.
Oh, that convict was a black woman. Let’s hear it for equal rights.