OPEN LETTER TO SENATOR PAT TOOMEY

by Ruth A. Sheets

Hello Sen. Toomey. 

Well, you've got all the Republican talking points down related to your opposition to the voting rights act HR/S1.  One might think that since you are retiring you might want to leave a legacy of civil rights but alas, that is not in the cards, is it?

Your fake worries about not being able to remove voters who have died or moved is just that, fake.  Republican governors and secretaries of state are not purging roles just to get rid of folks who have died or moved.  They are working hard to target voters of color who maybe haven't voted in a while or don't get mail delivered to their homes and those who use P.O. boxes.  I am sorry, but purging over 200,000 in one state and 180,000 voters from roles in another is unacceptable.  Not that many voters have died or moved that have not been reported.    

Your worry that votes will be "harvested," another word to stir up the Republican base has happened so rarely there is only one case that anyone can cite and that was Republican cheating in North Carolina.  It was caught and corrected.  That is what would and has happened.  Then, claiming people signing to say who they are is a problem is another fearmongering tactic and you should know that.  But, if you are so concerned, put money in the bill that would help states to pay for and get state approved ID cards for everyone.  I suspect college ID cards are at least as good as gun licenses but look at the states that won't allow them but allow the other.  Your fears are nonsense!

Then you seem to be worried about integrity of the elections.  Sure you are!  Where were you when Arizona Republicans forced the state to allow a bunch of fools to recount votes, of course, from the county with the most people of color, sure those people had cheated when it was those allowed to recount the votes who were cheating.  And, now, the voting machines have been compromised and will have to be replaced, for a whole lot of money Arizona doesn't have.  I didn't hear you stand up and speak against that and realize that such nonsense will be taking place regularly without S1.  Would you be OK with that happening in our state?  Well another fool from a  nowhere county is trying to challenge the votes in Philadelphia, oh wait!  where a large population of voters of color live.  Are you noting a pattern here?

Then, there's campaign finance.  No Republicans nor the Supreme Court has been able to adequately explain how money is speech.  It isn't.  It's money and can be gotten in a whole lot of ways that are not above boards.  You know that, so why is it a person or corporation with lots of money should have more opportunity of speech than one of your poorest constituents.  You can't because this is America and is supposed to be a democracy where everyone should have equal say.  $400 million paid in elections as some Republican rich guys have done is far more speech than your poor and even middle class constituents can "speak."  How is that fair.  It isn't, but it allows lots of people to cheat and since that is the Republican MO lately, I guess it works for you.  That's a shame because you know it isn't fair but will go along because that is the party line. 

Then you are worried about 1.8 billion dollars as public support for candidates as a bad use of funds.  Are you kidding me!! You have ignored a lot of bills that would have helped people in need.  I know you always had an excuse, but you quibble over 1.8 billion to actually get more people involved in the election process.  Hmmm!

Then you just had to bring in state's rights!  Wow!  You really did get all the points.  States' rights is always used to protect states doing some kind of actions that would hurt some of their citizens, usually citizens of color.  That is what Republicans are doing right now, even in Pennsylvania, at least they are trying here, limiting the ability to vote of Black citizens and other citizens of color as well as young people, poor working people, disabled people, and others who can't run out and vote at the traditional times.  You know that's racist, but Republicans cling to their love of states' rights even with its dark history. 

I know this note will not reach you, but maybe one of your staffers might see that your positions are simply not reasonable.  Your positions and opposition to HR1/S1 may give you comfort as you stand against even discussing voting rights in the Senate, but as a Catholic, you should know that even lying to yourself could be considered a sin.      

Oh by the way, your positions on immigration are not fair either.  I get it you think your grandparents came here “the right way” but in reality, they were white and employers here wanted white folks from anywhere, even Ireland, before they wanted Black people even though Black people have been here for hundreds of years.  How is that more “right” than people coming here to escape violence and possible starvation?  I am sure you have an answer for that which works for you too.