Texas GOP Platform Calls for Repeal of Voting Rights Act

POSTED BY: Kwicko
UPDATED: Friday, June 29, 2012 06:12
VIEWED: 2657
PAGE 1 of 1

KWICKO

Wednesday, June 27, 2012 11:17 AM

Yup, it's official.

"We urge that the Voter Rights Act of 1965 codified and updated in 1973 be repealed and not reauthorized."

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/06/26/506363/texas-gop-voting-ri
ghts-act/?mobile=nc

http://s3.amazonaws.com/texasgop_pre/assets/original/2012-Platform-Fin
al.pdf

It would certainly help keep certain people from voting, especially if you put in poll taxes and literacy tests, which I'm sure the SCOTUS would uphold as "free speech"...

"I supported Bush in 2000 and 2004 and intellegence [sic] had very little to do with that decision." - Hero

"I've not watched the video either, or am incapable of intellectually dealing with the substance of this thread, so I'll instead act like a juvenile and claim victory..." - Rappy

ANTHONYT

Wednesday, June 27, 2012 2:29 PM

Hello,

Several of their statements have some kind of supporting information to explain them.

For instance, in voter registration: "We support restoring integrity to the voter registration rolls and reducing voter fraud." This statement explains the statements which follow.

There is no such explanation for the repeal of the voting rights act. It's too bad, because I'd love to read what their problem with the act is, or what the repeal is intended to accomplish.

--Anthony

Note to Self:
Raptor - women who want to control their reproductive processes are sluts.
Wulf - Niki is a stupid fucking bitch who should hurry up and die.
Never forget what these men are.
“The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.” -Thomas Szasz

ANTHONYT

Wednesday, June 27, 2012 2:37 PM

Hello,

In reading further, some of their statements are... interesting.

"Contributions to Conservative Candidates - We strongly oppose the Republican Party of Texas, Republican National Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, Republican candidates and elected officials, political action committees, and politically active non-profit organizations from being financially supported by any individual or organization that have personal or financial ties, directly or indirectly, to organizations who do not support the principles of the Republican Party of Texas Platform."

Such a rule, as framed, might forbid them from taking donations from almost anybody. Why, if your cousin was a registered Democrat you couldn't donate. That would be a personal tie to an organization that does not support the principles of the Republican Party of Texas Platform. I don't even know how you'd sift through donations to weed out people who have 'personal or financial' 'direct or indirect' ties. I really think this is an ill conceived statement.

--Anthony

Note to Self:
Raptor - women who want to control their reproductive processes are sluts.
Wulf - Niki is a stupid fucking bitch who should hurry up and die.
Never forget what these men are.
“The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.” -Thomas Szasz

ANTHONYT

Wednesday, June 27, 2012 2:46 PM

Hello,

Oh my goodness.

"Family and Defense of Marriage ? We support the definition of marriage as a God-ordained, legal and moral commitment only between a natural man and a natural woman, which is the foundational unit of a healthy society, and we oppose the assault on marriage by judicial activists."

If I understand this correctly, they want only people who believe in God to get married? This goes beyond normal homophobia and enters religious persecution. God-ordained? They aren't even trying to hide the enactment of a theological state. Putting religious rules into law would be the first step to enacting a Christian version of Sharia.

--Anthony

Note to Self:
Raptor - women who want to control their reproductive processes are sluts.
Wulf - Niki is a stupid fucking bitch who should hurry up and die.
Never forget what these men are.
“The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.” -Thomas Szasz

MAL4PREZ

Wednesday, June 27, 2012 3:05 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by ANTHONYT:
Hello,

Oh my goodness.

"Family and Defense of Marriage ? We support the definition of marriage as a God-ordained, legal and moral commitment only between a natural man and a natural woman, which is the foundational unit of a healthy society, and we oppose the assault on marriage by judicial activists."

If I understand this correctly, they want only people who believe in God to get married? This goes beyond normal homophobia and enters religious persecution. God-ordained? They aren't even trying to hide the enactment of a theological state. Putting religious rules into law would be the first step to enacting a Christian version of Sharia.

--Anthony

What's really scary is how unapologetic they are about wanting America to be a religious state. These far righties have absolutely no understanding of religious freedom or separation of church and state. They all-out call for a Bible-based legal system. Ironically, those who most loudly tout the Biblical "law" are most violently against Islamic states. There's an interesting psychology there.

As to voting rights: I think what the TX repubs hate about the Voting Rights Act is that TX has to get permission (basically) from the federal govt before they can change their voter laws. They're like a bad kid who's been made to sit in the corner wearing a dunce cap, and they're bitter that anyone has the authority to do that to them. Of course, they have no interest in actually growing up and behaving decently. They just want to get back to their pranks with no grown-ups around.

NIKI2

Wednesday, June 27, 2012 4:53 PM

O...My...Gawd! I never thought I'd live to see the day. And everything else Anthony pointed out is incredible, too. These guys have reeeeely lost it, and they have the power to ENFORCE this shit, to boot. Yeah, it's just a platform, which has no bearing on "life", but those who actually BELIEVE this stuff are getting in power and "enforcing" this shit via ALEC, etc. I know "after all, it's Texas", but this is taking insanity (and religious prejudice!) to a new low.

Why the hell didn't we let them secede when they were threatening to? Brrrrrr....

PIZMOBEACH

Wednesday, June 27, 2012 6:04 PM

This kind of mind set is so foreign to me, this intolerance of almost anything that isn't cookie cutter beige. Back that-a-way is the Past, up ahead is the Future.
How bad would it be if we didn't have 50 states?
Here's something I've been mulling over - with the Internet's ability to amplify everyone's voice (to add even more noise essentially) it's going to be almost impossible to reach any kind of a consensus, especially in our culture of speaking out. We see what that does to our politicians (deadlock), so maybe the only road to any kind of progress for either of the 2 major groups is to separate. I know Ricky wanted that before. Texas is pretty big...

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com

NIKI2

Wednesday, June 27, 2012 6:15 PM

I'm all in favor of letting the South take its prejudices and mysoginy and go its own way, myownself. Let's see how well the do without the rest of us, given most of them TAKE more from the federal government than they GIVE. Can't they take the Midwest with them, tho' (joking)? They're almost as bad, politically speaking. Any party that rules a state like these guys do shouldn't be part of a federation of free-thinking (or THINKING), rational citizens!

The mindset is just as foreign to me, and disgusting to boot. You gotta KNOW if Texas and their southern buddies had their way, the Civil Rights Act never would have passed, nor Roe v Wade nor ANY forward-looking legislation. Let 'em go their way and go forward to the past by themselves...betcha they could set up a right smart theocracy!

Too bad secession can't happen without a civil war. I can think of a number of states we'd be better without...mostly those like Texas.

ANTHONYT

Wednesday, June 27, 2012 8:06 PM

Quote:
Too bad secession can't happen without a civil war.

Hello,

Can't it? Is there no legal avenue for a state to secede?

I actually think Texas would do quite well without the rest of us. And the rest of us quite well without Texas.

--Anthony

Note to Self:
Raptor - women who want to control their reproductive processes are sluts.
Wulf - Niki is a stupid fucking bitch who should hurry up and die.
Never forget what these men are.
“The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.” -Thomas Szasz

KWICKO

Wednesday, June 27, 2012 11:29 PM

If Texas secedes, I'll be looking for a new place to live. I'm an American, not a Texan.

"I supported Bush in 2000 and 2004 and intellegence [sic] had very little to do with that decision." - Hero

"I've not watched the video either, or am incapable of intellectually dealing with the substance of this thread, so I'll instead act like a juvenile and claim victory..." - Rappy

MAL4PREZ

Wednesday, June 27, 2012 11:35 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Kwicko:
If Texas secedes, I'll be looking for a new place to live. I'm an American, not a Texan.

"I supported Bush in 2000 and 2004 and intellegence [sic] had very little to do with that decision." - Hero

"I've not watched the video either, or am incapable of intellectually dealing with the substance of this thread, so I'll instead act like a juvenile and claim victory..." - Rappy

No, Austin would be an island of American sanity in the middle of the new nation of Wackostan.

RIONAEIRE

Thursday, June 28, 2012 2:12 AM

That's going way too far, that Voter's Rights Act is pretty important and they want to get rid of it?

I have Kathy Bates on speed dial, mwa ha ha ha (in exaggeratedly evil voice)

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya.

NIKI2

Thursday, June 28, 2012 10:09 PM

Quote:
No, Austin would be an island of American sanity in the middle of the new nation of Wackostan.

Personally, I would hope the people of Austin would "immigrate" to the U.S., and we'd welcome them with open arms!

I found this:

Quote:
So what would Texas look like as a foreign country?

It would be the world's thirteenth largest economy -- bigger than South Korea, Sweden, and Saudi Arabia. But its worth would crater precipitously, after NAFTA rejected it and the United States slapped it with an embargo that would make Cuba look like a free-trade zone. Indeed, Texas would quick become the next North Korea, relying on foreign aid due to its insistence on relying on itself.

On the foreign policy front, a seceded Texas would suffer for deserting the world superpower. Obama wouldn't look kindly on secessionists, and would send in the military to tamp down rebellion. If Texas miraculously managed to hold its borders, Obama would not establish relations with the country -- though he might send a special rapporteur. (We nominate Kinky Friedman.)

So, Texas would need to court Mexico and Central American nations as a trading partners and protectors. Those very nations would also pose a host of problems for Texas. President Perry might find friends in anti-U.S. nations like Venezuela and Cuba, but their socialist politics would rankle the libertarian nation.

And Texas would become a conduit for drugs moving north to the United States from Mexico, maybe even becoming a narco-state. It would need to invest heavily in its own military and policing force to stop drug violence within its borders -- taking away valuable resources from, oh, feeding its people, fending off U.S. border incursions, and improving its standing in the world.

In short:

The state of Texas would rapidly become direly impoverished, would need to be heavily armed, and would be wracked with existential domestic and foreign policy threats. It would probably make our failed states list in short order. Probably better to pay the damn taxes. http://wellthoughtoutlife.blogspot.com/2009/04/what-if-texas-seceded.h
tml

Some of that is valid, some is pure snark. By the way, Chuck Norris has volunteered to be President if they do secede.

This is a pretty thoughtful approximation:

Quote:
We begin our exercise in Austin, capital of the new Republic of Texas, where the Independence Day party raged until dawn to the music of Austin's own Asleep at the Wheel. Lead singer Ray Benson announced to the crowd, "We have severed the ties with the United States of America. Texas is free!" and the masses roared in response.

The former state has reinvented itself as a sort of Lone Star Singapore, with low taxes, free trade and minimal regulation. It enters the community of nations as the world's 15th-largest economy, with vast oil and gas reserves, busy international ports, an independent power grid and a laissez-faire attitude about making money.

Texas Is 'Open For Business'

The Texas Association of Business advertises the new nation's economic potential with a radio ad that declares, "Texas: Now it is a whole other country — and it's open for business ... C'mon over. Be part of our vibrant free-market nation."

What we have been able to do since we threw off the yoke of the federal government is create a country that has the assets necessary to build an incredible empire," says Bill Hammond, the association's president.

Imagine airports without the Transportation Security Administration; gun sales without the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; land development without the Endangered Species Act; new congressional districts without the Voting Rights Act; and a new guest-worker program without Washington gridlock over immigration reform.

Indeed, new immigration laws sailed through the Texas Congress. Immigrant workers are now legally crossing the border to frame houses

BYTEMITE

Thursday, June 28, 2012 10:23 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by ANTHONYT:
Quote:
Too bad secession can't happen without a civil war.

Hello,

Can't it? Is there no legal avenue for a state to secede?

I actually think Texas would do quite well without the rest of us. And the rest of us quite well without Texas.

--Anthony

There were actually supposed to be measures in the constitution as I recall that would allow states to leave the union. The supreme court even said it was okay in 1869 if it the state got other states to agree.

"The United States Supreme Court ruled in Texas v. White, 74 U.S. 700 (1869) that unilateral secession was unconstitutional while commenting that revolution or consent of the states could lead to a successful secession."

KWICKO

Thursday, June 28, 2012 10:59 PM

Keep reading. It gets even wackier.

From the "Educating Our Children" section:

Quote:
Knowledge-Based Education – We oppose the teaching of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) (values clarification), critical thinking skills and similar programs that are simply a relabeling of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) (mastery learning) which focus on behavior modification and have the purpose of challenging the student’s fixed beliefs and undermining parental authority.

Why would they oppose teaching critical thinking skills?

"I supported Bush in 2000 and 2004 and intellegence [sic] had very little to do with that decision." - Hero

"I've not watched the video either, or am incapable of intellectually dealing with the substance of this thread, so I'll instead act like a juvenile and claim victory..." - Rappy

BYTEMITE

Thursday, June 28, 2012 11:27 PM

...What.

What in the...

Okay, now I'M offended. o.0 Everything else was basically just business as usual for those guys as far as I'm concerned, but you're right, this is starting to get into crazy cult brainwashing territory.

Is this REAL? You're sure this isn't parody or something?

KWICKO

Friday, June 29, 2012 1:45 AM

Byte, read through the whole thing when you get a chance.

I got it from the Texas GOP's website.

http://convention.texasgop.org/

Texas is becoming a very scary place to be.

FREMDFIRMA

Friday, June 29, 2012 4:18 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by mal4prez:
What's really scary is how unapologetic they are about wanting America to be a religious state. These far righties have absolutely no understanding of religious freedom or separation of church and state. They all-out call for a Bible-based legal system. Ironically, those who most loudly tout the Biblical "law" are most violently against Islamic states. There's an interesting psychology there.

One of the things I am working on, amongst others and I have been BUSY lately, oh yes I have....
Is trying to get RAWA to crank out some propaganda vids for their "Oppressed American Sisters", which can then be wilded to social media here in order to totally humilate the American Taliban, cause that's really what they are - I said at one time that a lot of the hatred for the Talitubbies wasn't cause of what they did, but a combination of hatred for their brand-name, and jealousy that they COULD do it, and I got laughed at for it.
Not so goddamn funny now, is it ?

Also, Tex-ass ain't got the guts to secede, they TALK a good game, but that's all it's ever been.
Wish they would sometimes though - for mine own I refer to that whole south-eastern bastion of ignorance from NC to TX as "Dumbfuckistan".

-Frem

KWICKO

Friday, June 29, 2012 4:35 AM

Frem! You made it back to us!

Good to see ya.

Oh, and the American Taliban? That's just about perfect. They have Taliban; we have "talibangelists"!

BYTEMITE

Friday, June 29, 2012 5:05 AM

Hey Frem, glad things are calmer for you now.

FREMDFIRMA

Friday, June 29, 2012 5:26 AM

Oh how I wish Byte, oh how I wish....
Still, the Reaper is gonna have to drag me off kickin and screamin, cause I ain't goin easy.

-F

BYTEMITE

Friday, June 29, 2012 6:12 AM

Yeah. Still, good to see you posting again.