Ahh, my beloved Texans have awakened. A sleepy Latino dominated city of Corpus Christi sitting by beautiful beaches on the Gulf of Mexico is on the verge of holding a trial in federal court to once and for all declare Voting ID laws in that state unconstitutional.
But wait.
An all white jury should does this
Even though the mere fact that the trial will be heard by District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos, a Hispanic, and even though U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in July said Texas would be the start of his push to overturn the voter ID laws, I am very suspicious that this trial could be played out and dominated by Republican white voting jurors who will hear testimony. I really think that this coming trial in Texas, like all past and present trials, when a case features the rights of Hispanics and other minorities, things have never changed when selecting a jury based on race since I escaped from that grasp of discrimination against the poor.
This is exactly what is at stake here. A trial to determine whether the poor and old folks of color continue to suffer at the polls like always.
I am very familiar with Texas Justice and jurisprudence and in particular the sitting of jurors to hear cases in court, state and federal. However, due to the fact that things have not gone too honky dory for Texas Governor Rick Perry lately, perhaps the folks back home can pull this one out.
The law requires voters to present a photo IDs such as a concealed handgun license or driver's license, but excludes student IDs as invalid.
Democrats contend that poorer voters, including many racial minorities, are less likely to have such state-issued IDs. Thus, they would be more likely to be turned away from the polls on voting day, suppressing turnout of minorities, who traditionally have supported Democrats, opponents argue.
Oh Boy, present a photo ID, such as a concealed handgun license or driver`s license. Gulp, excuse me? Since when do Hispanics or Black potential voters carry Fu**king concealed handgun licenses?
If there should exists minorities who indeed have concealed handgun licenses one has to wonder how many do not. These will not be able to vote and driver`s licenses fall into the same trap of discrimination as minorities by and large go without driver licenses or insurance for their cars.
State Republican leaders have said the law aims to prevent fraud at the ballot box and that there is no evidence to show that the law is discriminatory.
Well, this mentality could have fooled me.
I hear this same Republican song being sung this minute here in Wisconsin as our own Governor Scott Walker is facing expulsion from his perch.
U. S. Attorney General Eric Holder in July said Texas would be the start of his push to overturn the voter ID laws. The administration sees such statutes as discriminatory and has launched a nationwide roll-out of cases to work around Shelby County v. Holder, the Alabama case in which the Supreme Court on June 25 invalidated a key part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Holder has said Texas has a "history of pervasive voting-related discrimination against racial minorities that the Supreme Court itself has recognized."
The office of Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, a Republican, said in a statement ahead of the trial that the law is aimed at protecting the integrity of elections.
"Voter ID has already been used in several elections in Texas without the disenfranchisement claimed by partisans who seem to be against election integrity," it said on Friday.
Yes, this last statement by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is what worries me. I can see him painting the same picture to prospective white jurors at this trial while at the same time striking Hispanics and Blacks from sitting in judgment.
I will keep an eye on Texas..