NAACP Victorious in Overturning Voter ID in Texas

by Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Kudos to the NAACP for having won a major victory in Texas in the ongoing fight against the rep-ugh-blicans efforts to drag us backwards into the 19th century: the federal court struck down the Texas Voter ID law, stating it unfairly discriminated against “communities of color and was, therefore, in vioilation of Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.”

Hopefully this will send a clear signal to other states that are trying to disenfranchise Black voters – including South Carolina, Florida, Pennsylvania and other states, which are covered by the Voting Rights Act. Section 5 spells out specific states that have a history of discriminatory practices. These states come under special scrutiny whenever they attempt to make any changes to their voting laws. Caution in making sure they do not reinstate racially discriminatory policies has to be exercised.

In order to make sure the other states and their judicial jurisdictions get the message and follow the example of Texas, the NAACP is circulating a petition, which I am enclosing below. Sign it, pass it on to all your friends and colleagues and have them sign and do likewise.

For those who question the efficacy of the NAACP, I think it sufficient to say that their place in our culture, history and future is secured. Make no mistake, they did not make it through 103 years by not taking care of business. Do they make mistakes? Of course. But their successes far outweigh their failures. And their perseverance still far outreaches that of any of their contemporary detractors, who have yet to show any results other than their penchant for criticism.

That said, there is still time for the rest of us to do our part by not only signing and forwarding the petition below, but also joining forces with your local Obama For President Campaign Headquarters, and Organizing for America, and helping those of your family, friends and acquaintances in battle ground states register and vote; as well as ensuring they have the appropriate I.D.

Now that the Mitt-twits convention has ended, and we're moving forward to the real deal, the DNC in Charlotte, NC, it's time to really get down to serious business: that of staying on message, staying on point, consolidating our efforts, and building the links and unity that we need to effect a decisive victory on November 6th.
So make sure you sign this petition, supporting the work of the Department of Justice, advocating against discriminatory voting laws:
 
http://action.naacp.org/page/s/voting-is-not-a-privilege-it-is-a-right-
 
Per Jotaka L. Eaddy, NAACP Senior Director, Voting Rights Initiative of the NAACP: “This summer has been a showdown between those who support equality and those who would suppress our right to vote. But the tide is turning. Across the U.S., the NAACP and our partners are working with key state officials and the Department of Justice to fight laws that deny some voters a voice in our democracy.  And slowly, battles are being won. The Michigan State Conference and the national NAACP advocated against Michigan’s proposed restrictive voting law changes—paving the way for Governor Rick Snyder to veto three measures that would have potentially impacted tens of thousands of Michigan citizens. In Florida, we had a victory when the courts permanently removed harsh restrictions on voter registration drives. In a separate court decision, we stopped Florida’s attempt to shorten early voting days from 12 to 8 – including eliminating voting on the Sunday before Election Day, a day when our Souls to the Polls program moves voters from the pews to the ballot to the box.   We can win this fight.  The law is on our side.  Together we can make it known to all Americans that this is not just an NAACP fight—it is a fight for our very democracy.  Click this link, or copy and paste this link, and sign our petition today: 
 
http://action.naacp.org/page/s/voting-is-not-a-privilege-it-is-a-right-
 
You know the responsibility to vote and the history of our movement protecting the right to vote—so let’s push back on this attack on our voting rights and work to strike down all discriminatory voting laws across the nation.  Help us clear the way for our community to be heard on Election Day!”
 
“It's on,” as they say, and “we're in!”

The reports about being out-contributed, out-financed mean nothing, if we all remember that We The People have the final say in everything – and as long as we're not out-voted the outcome will be the way we out pictured it from the beginning.

Remember make it your business to say, write, read and share something positive about President Barack Obama every day, from this point forward – because an Obama-A-Day keeps the Mitt-twits away.

Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson