Not so fast.

Now that President Barack Obama has shattered racial barriers by persuading enough white people to trust him to run the country, there’s this feeling that all people should trust that his runaway electoral victory also ground racial discrimination into the dirt.

At least that’s probably what a Texas municipal utility district is betting the U.S. Supreme Court will believe.

The Austin, Tex., district wants the high court to toss out Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This provision is known as the preclearance provision, and it was included to stop nine states – most of which are in the South – from discriminating at the polls by making changes that could water down minority participation.

We’re talking things like switching polling places to locations where buses don’t run regularly; things like cumbersome voter identification requirements that hinder scores of eligible voters from casting ballots.

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Right now, the preclearance provision requires those states, as well as several other municipalities, to seek permission from the Justice Department or a federal court before making such changes – and in 2006, after extensive hearings, Congress extended the provision for 25 years.

But this Texas utility district, which was established in 1980, says it has never been accused of voter discrimination and that it has adhered to anti-discrimination standards.

So they’re asking the Supremes to cut them some slack. Problem is, cutting this district some slack could give other states the rope to choke off the franchise to minority voters who put Obama over the top.

And that can’t be allowed to happen.

While it’s true that Obama won 43 percent of the white vote nationally – besting Sen. John Kerry’s 41 percent in 2004 – he lost the white vote resoundingly in Old South preclearance states like Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas.

These are states that have been known to make life difficult for black voters. Georgia, with its voter identification requirements designed to target a non-existent problem of voter ID fraud, comes to mind.

But now, these states have been embarrassed and isolated by Obama’s victory.

They’re isolated because they’re still fighting the Civil War as the rest of the country is fighting for jobs and prosperity.

They’re embarrassed because his win means they can no longer count on the rest of the country to accommodate them in their racism.

But chances are they’re also bitter – which is why this is probably the worse time in the world for the high court to strike down Section 5.

It’s a bad time – because chances are the Republicans who hold sway in most of the preclearance states are probably still peeved at seeing all the black voters turn out for Obama. They’re probably still having night sweats over the fact that these voters now realize they hold the power to make a difference not only in presidential elections, but in state and Congressional contests as well.

In states like Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana – Deep South states where racial polarization in the presidential election was particularly deep – officials there are probably salivating for the chance to find a path back to the good ol’ days; days in which they could make up the voting rules as they went along.

How could they not?

Obama’s presidency represents change they don’t want. It represents the rise of people who many of them have built an entire heritage on suppressing. It represents their worst fears; that his ascendancy may embolden people whom they’re more comfortable seeing as subservient or inferior – or not at all.

Of course, .....

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Racism seems to identify the racist with an inferiority complex. Since the first slave in 1640, Whites have enjoyed uninterrupted rights. For 325 years, Blacks existed without prospects. In a short 44 years since 1965, we have an African American President and some feel that we are even. They want to eliminate the measures that give Blacks the semblance of catch-up opportunities. They must truly feel inferior and believe we are indeed extraordinary to accomplish such a feat. I say, give us just half the time they have had (162 years, leaving 118 years) and, “Yes We Can” meet on level footing.

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BJMcKenney
January 28, 2009, 10:59 am
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of COURSE those whose legacy is built on privilege are going to be PEEVED that the playing field is being leveled now, especially those who've relied on the racist & discriminatory practices for their personal progress. the racism that infects our country hasn't GONE anywhere. it's been a bit more subtle, institutional and systematic recently. and now those who've benefitted FROM that are going to be doing MORE than trying to undo progress for the sake of maintaining what's been the hallmark of the Deep South since slavery. we might as well get ready for it....i KNOW i am!

by   
Dr_jai
January 28, 2009, 9:44 am
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Everytime blacks are successful at something Inclusionary they want to change the rules. And when they change the rule it become a disadvantage to black people.

by   
Manofmystique
January 28, 2009, 7:15 am
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