in his New York Times column, Joining Together in Justice, provide as good a summary of the Supreme Court decisions this week as I think can be made.
The whole column is worth reading. I will urge you to do so.
But let me offer these three paragraphs, the final three of his wonderful column, which he prefaces by reminding us of the words of King that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
And remember that it is no coincidence that there is quite a bit of overlap among the states that were covered by the Voting Rights Act, those that have constitutional bans on same-sex marriage, those with some of the most restrictive abortion laws and those that have considered or passed some of the strictest anti-immigrant bills.
Racial hostility, homophobia and misogyny are braided together like strands of the same rope. When we fight one, we fight them all.
Engaging in combat as a coalition reinforces and expands everyone’s power, reach and influence. We must realize that if everyone can see the sameness in these struggles, rather than the differences, we will be able to see that America is already a majority minority country.
If I have convinced you to read Blow, feel free to stop.
I have a very few thoughts of my own to add below.
We are in danger in this nation.
By we I mean any of us who can ever be classified as a minority.
That a majority of the Supreme Court is willing to parse and slice away in order to find justification NOT to continue protections that have empowered people against prejudice is frightening.
So let me correct my second sentence.
By we I mean all Americans.
Because if our legal framework can be limited on weak rationale, on deliberate misreading of both Constitution and Congressional action in order to reach a predetermined end, then we can assume no rights are guaranteed by the very documents supposed to protect them.
Blow writes about "a majority minority country." To which I respond that there has for some time been no majority, not when the rights of women continue to subject to the whims and religious prejudices and fears of some men.
Which should lead to this very clear understanding - a threat to the rights of anyone is a threat to the rights of everyone.
So again, remember the words Blow quotes from King, written while he was incarcerated in Birmingham during the Civil Rights struggle, a document that should be MANDATORY reading for everyone -
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
The right to vote and the right to access to public education and the right to marry are all essential human rights.
Those whose access to these rights you limit indicates that you do not view them as fully human, as your equal.
Kennedy's opinion in the Windsor case demonstrated he understood that with respect to marriage. His vote on Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act demonstrates a sad and dangerous lack of understanding of how people are STILL treated as less than equal.
Justice Roberts was right about one thing - the map of 2006 used for Section 4 is not necessarily accurate. But he was wrong as to the reason for the inaccuracy. It is not that the covered locations no longer need pre-clearance, but that, after the experience of 2012, there are other jurisdictions that may also need pre-clearance: is there any doubt of the intent of the actions in Pennsylvania as to voter-id, to suppress the Black vote and in the words of a Republican legislative leader thereby win the state for Mitt Romney?
If your rights can be denied, limited, or ignored, so can mine.
Your battle should be my battle.
Or as Blow put it, Racial hostility, homophobia and misogyny are braided together like strands of the same rope. When we fight one, we fight them all.
Peace.