by Ruth A. Sheets
Dear Sen. Toomey,
I just heard your little speech today claiming that the voter suppression law that was passed in Georgia recently was REALLY not voter suppression. Did you actually READ the law? I haven't read its entire 100 pages, but enough to know that its intent is clearly voter suppression, and very particular voter suppression, people of color, young people and poor people, Jim Crow 2.0 as it has been correctly labelled.
The 2020 and 2021 elections in Georgia were run extremely smoothly, no fraud, no cheating, but Republicans lost. What do Republicans do when they lose? Do they look for new ideas to run on that will actually make things better for Americans, not just the rich white ones? Of course not, at least not for the past 45 years or so. Making it illegal to give people water or food in voting lines in places where lines are deliberately set up so lines will be extremely long is what, not an attempt to suppress votes? Then, giving the state the right to overrule jurisdictions if they don't like the election results, that's not voter suppression? What is it then?
In short, I will not belabor the point. In the sections I have read and heard about, there is nothing that actually helps people to vote. It does nothing to secure elections as they were already incredibly secure. It does nothing to get more drop boxes for convenience particularly in areas that serve predominantly people of color. It does not increase the voting stations in those neighborhoods, or anything else positive. Oh yes, it keeps some of the early voting, but cuts actual voting hours. Yes Georgians will get a Sunday for “Souls to the Polls” but they will have to jump through hoops to get absentee ballots with state I.Ds that cost (a poll tax?) and the only excuse given is that one needs an ID to fly. What a bunch of nonsense! How typical, defend the indefensible, the unnecessary, with a nonsecquitor!
So, what would you say is the reason for this 100-page Georgia mess, for fun, for entertainment as lines of people stand in the hot sun waiting hours to vote? You are a pretty smart guy. You can at least sometimes recognize the truth. I believe you actually do know the truth here, but you feel you must verbally support your party. How sad for you, and you retiring. Who do you really have to please? How about standing with our Constitution? I was thinking you were going to take a more independent stand when you rightly voted to convict Trump for his crimes, but I see, nothing has really changed. You are a Republican guy with maybe one sort of cause, some kind of gun legislation which of course will never go far enough to make any positive change, but oh well, that's exactly what we can expect from Republicans these days, a bankrupt message, a lot of voter suppression, and more lies. I am so sorry for that. I guess we will have to look back in the past for Republicans we can admire: T.R., Richard Schweiker (someone I voted for more than once), Lincoln, of course and Thaddeas Stevens but those folks are in the past.
When not a single Republican can see the recent disruptions in the voting process since the Supreme Court in 2013 gutted the 1965 Voting Rights Act, as the voter suppression it is, it does not give American citizens much hope that things will get better without a fight, that is unless the Senate passes S1 “We the People.” I know Republicans would fight that every step of the way with more lies that they are not perpetrating massive voter suppression, and claim that this bill “would destroy our voting system.” It will be worth it, though, to force you all to state those lies in public, in front of those people you are working so hard to keep from the polls.
I’d say “shame on you Republicans” but alas, you are far beyond feeling shame for any of the appalling things you have either done or allowed to happen in the past few decades.
One day soon, I predict enough people will be sick of the lies and gaslighting from Republicans and vote you all out. I hope for the sake of our democracy it is sooner than later.
R.Sheets, Voter since age 18 in 1971 (the year
18-year-olds got the vote)
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