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...The Voting Rights Act, strong-armed through Congress by LBJ, was necessary to protect the right to vote, and it applied in states that used poll taxes, tests and other devices to exclude blacks--in other words, throughout much of the entire Deep South.

But today, some 45 years later, much has changed. Blacks have held elected office at the highest levels in the South. Voter disenfranchisement in some places is lower than the nationwide average. Yet those same Southern states still are subjected to the restrictions of the federal law because of their past transgressions--even though in some areas they fare better on voter equality than states like Ohio and Massachusetts, which are not covered by the act.

The Southern states (Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas, as well as Alaska and Arizona) remain fully under the thumb of the federal government, and must get permission before making any change--no matter how minor--in voting procedures. Complying with the federal law cost those states and a handful of counties and municipalities across the country $1 billion in the past decade, one court filing estimates.

Today's arguments in the Supreme Court were incredibly compelling, and they got straight at this question, as raised by Chief Justice Roberts, to a lawyer defending the Act:

"Is it your position today that Southerners,” Roberts asked, “are more likely to discriminate than Northerners?"

To defend the Voting Rights Act's continuing targeted coverage of the South, the lawyer had to concede the answer essentially is yes—because discrimination there, he said, is more repetitious.

But some of the numbers show otherwise. As Justice Alito pointed out, the differential in Latino and white voter registration in Texas is 18.6 percent. That sounds like a high number--until you realize the difference Latino and white voter registration in California is 37 percent; Colorado is 28 percent; New Mexico is 24 percent. The nationwide differential in Latino and white voter registration is a whopping 30 percent, Alito pointed out.

As Justice Kennedy said: "The government of the United States is saying our states must be treated differently. No one is questioning the validity, the urgency, the essentiality of the Voting Rights Act. The question is whether it should be continued with this differentiation between the states." ...

Ivytalk wrote:I have never met a worse bunch of racists than live in the heart of South...Boston, MA.

Good article. And you can't call Jan Crawford Greenburg a Conk.

This case will probably break 5-4 either way. Wonder which way Justice Anthony "The Fulcrum" Kennedy will vote.

Ivytalk wrote:I have never met a worse bunch of racists than live in the heart of South...Boston, MA.

Good article. And you can't call Jan Crawford Greenburg a Conk.

This case will probably break 5-4 either way. Wonder which way Justice Anthony "The Fulcrum" Kennedy will vote.

MarkCCU wrote:I'm sure some crazy spic, kike, gook, negro or jew wrote that. Yeah, it was probably a Jew. You know, we're in this economic crisis because of the Jews taking and hoarding our money.

Dirty Jews.


Having said that, I've met many racists **** from all over the country. Especially from New Jersey, Boston and Upstate New York.

OL FU wrote:

Ivytalk wrote:I have never met a worse bunch of racists than live in the heart of South...Boston, MA.

Good article. And you can't call Jan Crawford Greenburg a Conk.

This case will probably break 5-4 either way. Wonder which way Justice Anthony "The Fulcrum" Kennedy will vote.

Boston is the first town that comes to mind when I think of racism, not Cambridge. Boston.

Chicago would be high on the list also.

Now, the difference , as far as voting, would be those are democratic towns and even though racism is prevalent there is no desire to keep blacks from the polls since the majority will vote democratic. In fact, vote early and often.

TwinTownBisonFan wrote:

OL FU wrote:
Boston is the first town that comes to mind when I think of racism, not Cambridge. Boston.

Chicago would be high on the list also.

Now, the difference , as far as voting, would be those are democratic towns and even though racism is prevalent there is no desire to keep blacks from the polls since the majority will vote democratic. In fact, vote early and often.

you're not entirely wrong... sadly.

Philly is guilty of that very thing. I was shocked by how segregated Philly was... just wasn't expecting it. They are encouraged to vote... but they are red-lined hardcore in that town. there is a lot of antagonism both ways in Philly... the Danny Boyle shirts vs. "free Mumia"... still 30 years later... and still they are on about it...

the Twin Towns aren't segregated per se, but when 90% of a states population is white... it's hard to tell. St. Paul is still somewhat segregated, but it generally owes to when the Hmong and Latino residents get enough money, they move to the burbs... (there really are no African Americans in StP going back to the 60's... when we built a freeway through their neighborhood - right down the middle of it)

OL FU wrote:

TwinTownBisonFan wrote:
you're not entirely wrong... sadly.

Philly is guilty of that very thing. I was shocked by how segregated Philly was... just wasn't expecting it. They are encouraged to vote... but they are red-lined hardcore in that town. there is a lot of antagonism both ways in Philly... the Danny Boyle shirts vs. "free Mumia"... still 30 years later... and still they are on about it...

the Twin Towns aren't segregated per se, but when 90% of a states population is white... it's hard to tell. St. Paul is still somewhat segregated, but it generally owes to when the Hmong and Latino residents get enough money, they move to the burbs... (there really are no African Americans in StP going back to the 60's... when we built a freeway through their neighborhood - right down the middle of it)

I assume that one could say I am at least partially right

My thoughts are based on experience and course that is limited. I know very little about Minneapolis/St PAul. One quick trip was it for me.

My personal opinion is I would rather the voting rights act be applicable to all states. However, I would be nervous about overturning it. While I think the south has come a long way and is far better than some parts of the country, I am not naive enough to think that our problems are over.

TwinTownBisonFan wrote:

OL FU wrote:
Boston is the first town that comes to mind when I think of racism, not Cambridge. Boston.

Chicago would be high on the list also.

Now, the difference , as far as voting, would be those are democratic towns and even though racism is prevalent there is no desire to keep blacks from the polls since the majority will vote democratic. In fact, vote early and often.

you're not entirely wrong... sadly.

Philly is guilty of that very thing. I was shocked by how segregated Philly was... just wasn't expecting it. They are encouraged to vote... but they are red-lined hardcore in that town. there is a lot of antagonism both ways in Philly... the Danny Boyle shirts vs. "free Mumia"... still 30 years later... and still they are on about it...

the Twin Towns aren't segregated per se, but when 90% of a states population is white... it's hard to tell. St. Paul is still somewhat segregated, but it generally owes to when the Hmong and Latino residents get enough money, they move to the burbs... (there really are no African Americans in StP going back to the 60's... when we built a freeway through their neighborhood - right down the middle of it)

Ivytalk wrote:

TwinTownBisonFan wrote:
you're not entirely wrong... sadly.

Philly is guilty of that very thing. I was shocked by how segregated Philly was... just wasn't expecting it. They are encouraged to vote... but they are red-lined hardcore in that town. there is a lot of antagonism both ways in Philly... the Danny Boyle shirts vs. "free Mumia"... still 30 years later... and still they are on about it...

the Twin Towns aren't segregated per se, but when 90% of a states population is white... it's hard to tell. St. Paul is still somewhat segregated, but it generally owes to when the Hmong and Latino residents get enough money, they move to the burbs... (there really are no African Americans in StP going back to the 60's... when we built a freeway through their neighborhood - right down the middle of it)

Racism in the Twin Cities involves Norwegians dissing the Swedes. And everybody hates the Danes.

Cleets Part 2 wrote:In my travels I've found there to be all kinds of racism (everywhere)
The only difference seems to be that in the south the folks that are racist don't hide it
in the north the folks that are racist pretend not to be...

other than that - the percentages are I would guess fairly equal

OL FU wrote:

Cleets Part 2 wrote:In my travels I've found there to be all kinds of racism (everywhere)
The only difference seems to be that in the south the folks that are racist don't hide it
in the north the folks that are racist pretend not to be...

other than that - the percentages are I would guess fairly equal

I think you are right. Except that racists in the north don't hide it in front of a southerner that they wrongly think is a kindred spirit

Cleets Part 2 wrote:

OL FU wrote:
I think you are right. Except that racists in the north don't hide it in front of a southerner that they wrongly think is a kindred spirit

Oh... you remind me of another point...
The folks in the north (many I've noticed) assume all southerners are racist
how they come to this conclusion I have no idea..?

OL FU wrote:

Ivytalk wrote:
Racism in the Twin Cities involves Norwegians dissing the Swedes. And everybody hates the Danes.

So why do they hate Albany so much

UNI88 wrote:

Cleets Part 2 wrote:
Oh... you remind me of another point...
The folks in the north (many I've noticed) assume all southerners are racist
how they come to this conclusion I have no idea..?

Exposure to CitDog perhaps?

OL FU wrote:

UNI88 wrote:
Exposure to CitDog perhaps?

Because that is the way we are stereotyped and it is easier to believe it than to come to a different conclusion. It will be a long time before the south escapes its history. One of the reasons that we still have the Voting Rights Act. (of course, as I said before I am not opposed to it)

Question and it is a loaded one, Do you think all Southerners are racists.

Cleets Part 2 wrote:

OL FU wrote:
I think you are right. Except that racists in the north don't hide it in front of a southerner that they wrongly think is a kindred spirit

Oh... you remind me of another point...
The folks in the north (many I've noticed) assume all southerners are racist
how they come to this conclusion I have no idea..?

OL FU wrote:

Cleets Part 2 wrote:
Oh... you remind me of another point...
The folks in the north (many I've noticed) assume all southerners are racist
how they come to this conclusion I have no idea..?

I remember taking a cross country trip with my parents. One of our stops was the metropolis known as Lewiston Idaho where my father had business. Now Lewiston Idaho at the time was probably 5000 people at most. Greenville at that time was probably 200,000 to 250,000. But I remember some of the conversations with people when they found out we were from the south. I think some of them were amazed that we had indoor plumbing

dbackjon wrote:From my experiences, the racism in the South has two forms - rural South - it is no bones about it social casting that would make a Brahman proud.

Urban - much more subtle. Southern Politeness puts a nice veneer on it, but it is just below the surface. Social interaction between the races is MUCH less in the south than in the north..

One story one of my frat brothers told me illustrates this - he was a manager in a plant in Winston-Salem - had line managers that were both black and white. While getting to know them, he wanted to take each out individually to lunch, as a informal way to meet them. The black managers all refused to go individually, saying that if you saw a black man and a white man out to lunch together, everyone just assumed they were gay...