The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments last week involving the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Section 5 of the Act is being challenged by Shelby County, Alabama, saying that the provision was necessary in 1695 when there was voter suppression to African Americans, but that discrimination is “non-existent today.”
Supporters of the protection of the Voting Rights Act, like the League of United Latin American Citizens, attended a rally that same day in Washington, DC on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court Building to voice their opinion about the decision.
“This rally will reinforce to the Court that the Voting Rights Act protects real voters from discrimination, from Alabama to Alaska,” says Wade Henderson, President and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and The Leadership Conference Education Fund. “Legal precedent is already on our side and this rally will demonstrate that the American people are on our side as well. We encourage all people who cherish the right to vote to join us on the steps of the Supreme Court on February 27th,” says Henderson.
The lawsuit from Alabama argues that the Voting Rights Act, “forces places with a history of discrimination” to get approval before they make any changes in the way elections are held.
The Obama administration and its allies are against Alabama’s lawsuit, saying that while they acknowledge there has been some progress since 1965 on voting rights, minority voters still need the protection from those who want “to reduce their influence at the polls.”
Rodolfo O. de la Garza, writer for The New York Times, says that Alabama’s argument “ignores Latino experiences.”
“The nation does not acknowledge the discrimination Latinos have undergone,” says de la Garza. “Today, many public officials from states across the nation seem to feel free to treat Latinos as unwelcome newcomers and view Latino voters with suspicion… Without the law’s threat of federal intervention, I fear that the promise of Latino political equality will stagnate.”
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