TINKER, TAILOR

Black Conservatives Hope to Scrap Part of Voting Rights Act

But it's being challenged by the NAACP, among others

Jan 17, 2013 by Dain Fitzgerald

Staff Writer t

Image: NCPPR

A group of black conservatives dubbed "Project 21" are taking issue with a key part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Their beef is with Section 5, which bars regions of the country with a history of discrimination from modifying voting procedures without federal approval. In short, they want to scrap it.

Project 21, which is affiliated with the free market-oriented National Center for Public Policy Research, said in a press statement that "aggressive enforcement" of Section 5 has transformed it into a "tool for requiring racial classifications and race-based redistricting." They charge the Obama administration with an attempt to promote political power based on racial classification that is "outdated."

"We are in 2013, and the Voting Rights Act was something that came from a historical context," said Project 21 co-founder Cherylyn Harley LeBon. "We need to update the law and this part of it is no longer needed."

But it's a move adamantly opposed by groups such as the League of Women Voters and the National Organization for the Advancement of Colored People, which believe the VRA should remain untouched.

"[The VRA] is responsible for much of the progress this country has achieved in terms of electoral equality, so changing it would have a tremendous impact," warned Myrna Perez of New York's Brennan Center for Justice. "There would be no backstop against localities that wanted to conduct discriminatory practices in voting."

Via the NCPPR and Business Insider.

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?	Should the Voting Rights Act be modified?

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No, leave it alone

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Yes, it's partly outdated

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Comments (view in Forum)

Jan '13

Neo_NtheMatrix

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Another bad poll. It's not partially outdated, it's completely outdated. For goodness sake, we have a black president (of which liberals like to constantly remind us of -- of what relevance this info is most of the time I don't know).
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Jan '13

MongoAPillager

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yes, but he's half white and that part of him discriminates against the other half
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Jan '13

Dan_Tien

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"...what relevance this info is most of the time I don't know"

Then why did you bring it up?
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Jan '13

tomincali

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@MongoAPillager funny how that works. also we all better start watching what we say,obama signed a new order against protesting,where the sercet service can charge folks with a felony if they so choose
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Jan '13

OhWiseOne

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Wonder why Politix didn't offer an option saying it's completely outdated?
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Jan '13

OhWiseOne

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@MongoAPillager LOL! Great post.
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Jan '13

jessejaymes

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I wonder how much this group of "Black conservatives" are being payed by the Heritage Foundation or Koch Brothers or whomever? To even begin to believe that the bible belt does not discriminate against minorities is to believe I'm the frigging Pope. You may kiss the ring.
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Jan '13

Denizen_Kate

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Either they're being payed, or they're being played.
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Jan '13

drpeeper

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Translation: How dare a minority deign to think for himself.
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Jan '13

jessejaymes

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@Denizen_Kate my experience with the black culture of today is that they do anything unless they're getting paid. I don't blame them for that but that's a reality that I saw every day for 30 years.
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Jan '13

jessejaymes

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@drpeeper The problem with your statement is that if the black community would think for themselves they wouldn't be Democrat or Republican. Nobody would.
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Jan '13

jessejaymes

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@jessejaymes they DON'T
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Jan '13

Dan_Tien

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Let them gather 25000 registered voters' signatures on a petition like everybody else.
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Jan '13

Politicskid

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It has to be 100,000 now, remember?
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Jan '13

Dan_Tien

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@Politicskid Must have missed that news item. I can usually remember news from only yesterday.
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Jan '13

Dan_Tien

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@Politicskid But I think that was a good move. There were too many frivolous petitions being sent to the White House. Death Star, indeed!
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Jan '13

DARSB

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The logic seems to be that the VRA of 1964 is "outdated?" Do we not remember that the VRA was necessary a century after the 13 Amendment was ratified because racial oppression was still a daily reality in the old Confederacy?
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Jan '13

OhWiseOne

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So you still believe it's necessary today? If so, please tell me why? Just curious.
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Jan '13

DARSB

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@OhWiseOne Florida.
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Jan '13

Waynestew

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@DARSB I like to add Texas @OhWiseOne
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Jan '13

pezcore64

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@OhWiseOne
I live in kentucky and the fact I hear a white person (like myself) use the word 'nigger' atleast once a week is enough proof I need that racism is alive and well.
Dont get me wrong, its not only white folks who are racists..
racism is funny like that.. it doesnt discriminate against who it infects ;) ive met brown black yellow pink purple all the colours of the rainbow people who were biggoted against atleast one other colour of skin.
Its really sad, but we arent ready to get rid of laws like this. One day maybe, and i hope soon... not yet though.
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Jan '13

kathyparsell

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Good luck!
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Jan '13

Vance1

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black conservatives get bashed and put down in this country all day and all night by liberals, because they dont fit the mold!!
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Jan '13

DARSB

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By that logic, liberals dislike Rush Limbaugh because he's a black conservative who "doesn't fit the mold"?
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Jan '13

PoliticalSpice

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In a color blind society I would dislike rush limbaugh as much as i dislike clarence thomas. In fact i do, i judge them both idiots by the content of their character, not the color of their skin. Gee, its funny, wonder if MLK Jr. would say that means his dream has become a nightmare.
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Jan '13

woodtick57

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Maybe we should keep it for a while just as a reminder of how sad these areas used to be in their treatment of their fellow humans....

the last states to recognize SSM should be treated similarly for a half century or so....
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Jan '13

paperdragons81

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Don't get me wrong on this I'm not racist, and I'm not condoning racism. But isn't it there right to be racist and aren't they still Americans, its there right to be ingorent. Are we not all endowed by are creater with certain unalienalble rights. And if we supress the racist regions vote what determines this, areas where Obama didn't get the mojority vote, and if we accept this idea of suppressing somes votes do to their ideas where does it stop.
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Jan '13

Sabio

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NAACP, now thats an organization that is a joke.
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Jan '13

ConserveUSA

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To me Black Conservatives are tired of the "Always Be Ghetto" in the Black Communities.
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Jan '13

RobertJHarsh

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I agree. Blacks can be so much more than on the welfare gimmedat voter that Obama, our HALF WHITE president, wants.
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Jan '13

Registre56

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"Their beef" Really politixDan? Don't you mean "Their Problem"? Politix gets more obvious with their bullsh!t daily
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Jan '13

harold_lloyd

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No matter how many oreos you put up, the behavior shown in the last election proves that voting rights still need protection.
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Jan '13

pezcore64

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Well as an elected official im sure that he'll... wait... whats that you say ? hes just some loon who rants and raves about obama being a socialist like every other right winger doing op eds on the internet?
Get out of town.
Why is this being posted on here again?
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Jan '13

warrior4christ

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I dont see anything racial. But I just hope they are not trying to keep Obama as a president cause of his skin tone. I feel like we need someone who cares about the American people and who will care about all races. Just not one of them. A good Christian president.
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Jan '13

MarkJM

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The VRA is completely outdated, not partially outdated. If anything, it needs to be completely overhauled or removed altogether. When you have any Knucklehead just bringing in a utility bill and being allowed to vote, we have problems. It's already bad enough the majority of idiots don't pay attention at the ballot box to begin with. I would make a couple simple changes. First, Government Issued Photo ID Required, NO EXCEPTIONS. A photo ID from the DMV (be it a drivers license or walking ID) costs a mere $10. If you can't afford to go with out that pack of Newports or those couple of beers and get a Photo ID, then you probably shouldn't vote. Second, must be a resident of the respective voting district, NO EXCEPTIONS. The Photo ID would quickly clear this up. Lastly, voting, like owning firearms or driving should be a privilege, not a right. If you go off on a felony binge, you should not be allowed to cast a ballot.
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Jan '13

RobertJHarsh

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It needs to be abolished.
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Jan '13

WattheTyler

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If Black Conservatives had their way blacks would still be enslaved.
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Should the Voting Rights Act be modified?

Should the Voting Rights Act be modified?