Unsought Input

The House of Representatives has voted to expand democracy to American citizens in Washington DC. Over the past 200 years, through the Civil War, the end of slavery, the women’s suffrage movement, two World Wars, and the defeat of the Soviet Union, America has neglected to expand voting rights to hundreds of thousands of its own citizens. Washington DC has no real representation in the House or the Senate.

And despite this latest vote it’s likely to stay that way. It doesn’t look like the bill will pass in the Senate, and even if it does George W. Bush is likely to veto it.

“It’s unconstitutional!” is the whine from Republicans like Senator Mitch McConnell. You see, it’s not because they are afraid that Washington DC residents will vote for Democrats, or because DC residents are largely poor and black. Of course they think everyone should have the right to vote! Of course they aren’t elitists or racists!

It’s just that the procedural steps for granting suffrage properly is much more important to a democracy than, you know, actual democracy.

(more…)

One of the most shameful facts about the United States of America has been in the news lately.  No, I’m not talking about the Iraq war, teen pregnancy, urban poverty, or even election fraud.  I’m talking about the fact that U.S. citizens who live in Washington DC have no Senators and no Congressmen.

DC has more people than Wyoming, and almost as many as Vermont.  So why are they treated like felons?  The problem, at least right now, is that a majority of DC residents are black.

Now, this isn’t old school Jim Crow racism; the real issue is that blacks tend to vote overwhelmingly for the democrats.  Giving DC the vote would be giving the Democrats two Senators and a member in the House.
(more…)