MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Another Martin Luther King Jr. holiday is history. But this one was mired in controversy more than most. That’s because the focus was on voting rights, or to be more precise, the reluctance in Congress to stand for voting rights at a time when various states are going in the opposite direction.
Think about it. In 2020, more people voted in the presidential election than at any time in U.S. history. And they did it as a deadly pandemic was raging throughout the country.
So what do we do? Make it harder for people to vote, that’s what.
At last count, some 20 states enacted laws last year that made it more difficult to vote. Granted, other states countered that by passing laws that expanded access to voting. But on balance, the voting restrictions are much more onerous. Which is why it is a shame that the U.S. Senate is allowing an antiquated filibuster rule that’s steeped in racist intent – to stop passage of voting rights legislation.
The saving grace in all of this is that Tennessee was not one of the states that passed restrictive laws last year. But Republican lawmakers are trying to gain even more of an advantage by gerrymandering congressional and legislative districts to keep the party in firm control.
So, while the King holiday is over, the fight for the right to vote – which was his fight – continues.