Barack Obama Brings Hope And Says America Can Overcome SCOTUS Voting Rights Act Decision
Former President Barack Obama said that the Supreme Court's decision to gut section two of the Voting Rights Act is a setback that the American people can overcome.
If there was good news in the Supreme Court majority’s expected gutting of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, it is that it wasn’t found to be unconstitutional. The other piece of good news is that, according to experts, the ruling has come too late to fully impact the upcoming midterm election.
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Otherwise, this is a dark moment for voting rights in the United States as the Supreme Court will allow minority voters to have their voices in our democracy diluted.
The good news is that Supreme Court rulings aren’t commandments written in stone. The ruling can be overcome through legislation.
Former President Barack Obama showed the American people the path forward in a statement.
Obama said:
Today’s Supreme Court decision effectively guts a key pillar of the Voting Rights Act, freeing state legislatures to gerrymander legislative districts to systematically dilute and weaken the voting power of racial minorities - so long as they do it under the guise of “partisanship” rather than explicit “racial bias.” And it serves as just one more example of how a majority of the current Court seems intent on abandoning its vital role in ensuring equal participation in our democracy and protecting the rights of minority groups against majority overreach.
The good news is that such setbacks can be overcome. But that will only happen if citizens across the country who cherish our democratic ideals continue to mobilize and vote in record numbers - not just in the upcoming midterms or in high profile races, but in every election and every level.
Former President Obama was 100% right, and here’s why.
