https://www.nytimes.com/

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote the majority opinion in the 5-to-4 ruling, which required the State Legislature to draw a second district in which Black voters have the opportunity to elect representatives of their choice. He was joined by Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh and the court’s three liberal members, Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Here is the Case:

https://www.supremecourt.gov/o...pdf/21-1086_1co6.pdf

This little bit of knowledge right off the top of the Syllabus says it all:

Alabama drew districts preventing an African Americans to get elected to the House from 1877-1992 when the Supreme Court said enough.

There is only 1.3 million African Americans to 3 million Euro-Americans living in Alabama. Why should they be drawn to be a voice in politics?

This is why claims of institutional racism at the South and GOP stick around.

As I am reading the case, the VRA as it exists today that requires this map to be struck was created by a COMPROMISE of Sen. Bob Dole.

President Reagan signed it into law.


GOP lead compromise to end a practice by state GOP controlled legislatures.

Now, we have went backwards.

The analysis of the particular fact pattern start at Section C on actual page 15. Section A through B are background information on the status of the VRA and Alabama.

Mississippi has gotta be worse.

There are so many stats and evidence of poverty and suppression in that state.

I have no -- zero -- affinity for Alabama. Never have. We, In Georgia, have a saying -- Cross the state line into Alabama, and go back in time -- one hour and twenty years.

IMO, Mississippi and Louisiana are worse.

When traveling, I avoid those states.

Last year I went through those so-called fly-by states, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, etc. I was pleasantly surprised. I had a breakdown and the people I encountered were honest and helpful. So refreshing. All encounters were that way. Maybe I was just lucky.

How interesting.... Never been to Miss. But have had good interactions with folks in Alabama, very friendly, they like to talk.
Louisiana, absolute salt of the earth types. I was at a country store, talking to a couple ranchers. Was invited on the spot to come have dinner and see the property. The other wanted me to come by when I got done visiting with the first. That way with all the country folks I met.

I'm glad for the positive report, TB40.

I'm open to changing my mind.

From what I have heard, and this is only rumor, La. is very corrupt in the business world. Lots of insider banking and things like that......
But country folk are the same everywhere, and the ones in La I got to see were great. They made fun of my yankee ways and I laughed at trying to decipher some of their words!!

quote:

But country folk are the same everywhere

So true!!!

Thanks for inserting a little reality in this.

I still think more folks are good than bad, country folks or city folks.

But I still think of the saying going back in time - one hour and twenty years - every time I go to Alabama.

I stay out of cities, so have no comment on that side.

When traveling across country it's difficult to avoid cities. I do my best to avoid the big ones.

It takes longer, buy IMO it's worth the effort.

Still, on some back roads logging trucks and farm equip are a big hazard too.

I have road side assist insurance and I figure it's better to be waiting for help on some country road than an interstate hwy in city. So far my cell phone service hasn't failed.

There are places I've been in the far North where cell phone service doesn't exist.

The S. Ct. speaks clearly that Alabama’s map was in direct conflict with VEA snd its historical precedents as an attempt to overturn those precedents.

The heart of these cases is not about the law as it exists. It is about Alabama’s attempt to remake our §2 jurisprudence anew.

Alabama GOP knew it was violating the VRA.

We are all lucky the S. Ct. did not accept that attempted violation.

quote:

Originally posted by theback40:
How interesting.... Never been to Miss. But have had good interactions with folks in Alabama, very friendly, they like to talk.
Louisiana, absolute salt of the earth types. I was at a country store, talking to a couple ranchers. Was invited on the spot to come have dinner and see the property. The other wanted me to come by when I got done visiting with the first. That way with all the country folks I met.

Alabamians have a saying, “ Thank God for Mississippi.” I have kin down there.

Georgians have a saying, “Without Atlanta, Georgia is just Alabama.”

Only just getting cell service around here. Still many places without it.

quote:

But I still think of the saying going back in time - one hour and twenty years - every time I go to Alabama.

Is that a bad thing?

I have a residence in the city and country.
The people in the country are or appear far less stressed.
I think that contributes to their more approachable friendly nature.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

quote:

But I still think of the saying going back in time - one hour and twenty years - every time I go to Alabama.

Is that a bad thing?

When you structure policy for the purpose of denying them representation through voting; yes.

It is a very bad thing.

This is going to result in the reversal of the North Carolina Supreme Court's recent ruling that the GOP gerrymandering there was legal.

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

quote:

But I still think of the saying going back in time - one hour and twenty years - every time I go to Alabama.

Is that a bad thing?

When you structure policy for the purpose of denying them representation through voting; yes.

It is a very bad thing.

My comment had nothing to do with the court decision.

Your comment is about wanting to return to a “better America.”

Better for who?

A time that does not need to come back.

A time that did not actually exist as you think it did as our discussion about the Historical limitations of the Bill of Rights demonstrates.

The Opinion is clear about how things used to be, and how the GOP Olin Alabama through these electoral maps wish to keep it.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

quote:

But I still think of the saying going back in time - one hour and twenty years - every time I go to Alabama.

Is that a bad thing?

That's interesting. Or, at least it led me to something interesting.

How time flies. I think maybe 20 years is not enough. Maybe 50 years.

Anyway, my research to reply to your comment led me to this, for starters:

https://archives.alabama.gov/r...icials/governor.aspx

Alabama Governors Archives and History

I didn't remember that George Wallace was a Democrat AND a racist. But look at the rest of the history - all democrats except two after the civil war. Wallace's last term ended in 1987, which was close to when the Southern Strategy took hold.

The Southern Strategy:

What was the Southern Strategy?

(The video is about 11 minutes, but the guy knows what he's saying, especially the part about Texas.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUzoEvSC_AU

What we get wrong about the Southern strategy
It took much longer — and went much further — than we think.

https://www.washingtonpost.com...t-southern-strategy/

================================================

So, Alabama, and the whole South, flipped parties. They didn't flip ideology, they flipped to a party that embraced their ideas and worldviews and over time grew even more radical.

What?

Did I shut down debate with some stats and facts?

Hummm