Ugh. The Supreme Court has struck down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act in one of those maddening 5-4 votes.
Like all progressively minded Americans, we cats were braced for this. We're not happy, but we can't help seeing a few political silver linings in this very dark cloud. Here's why.
Had the Court upheld the entire Act, we could have all said "amen" and moved on. Instead, by kicking Section 4 over to Congress to fix, the Court has ensured that the whole question of minority voting rights (and Republican efforts to squash them) is thrown back into the roiling maw of our combative national discourse.
Said another way: Now, the Republicans are going to have to defend their fears and loathings in a very, very public discussion.
The Court's decision also will prove that Republicans and pundits who swear that minorities won't vote if Barack Obama's not on the ballot have their heads up their you-know-whats. As communities in Florida and elsewhere showed last year, when you try to restrict the votes of people of color, they get mad — and turn out in droves instead.
Finally, it bears noting that the Court scrubbed Section 4 just two months before the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech. We're not sure how well that timing works for the haters. But we cats are booking our space on the Mall right now.
So — thanks for nothing, SCOTUS. On the other hand, here are five words to make mainstream Republicans everywhere cringe: "Let the national conversation begin!"
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