'A White Individual' - How the Voting Rights Act promotes racial polarization.

Wall Street Journal ^ | June 20, 2006 | Masthead Editorial

[neverdem]

With Congress poised to extend, for another quarter-century, certain "temporary" provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, it's worth pondering some of the political mischief taking place these days in the name of "voting rights."

Take New York's 11th Congressional District, a safe Democratic seat covering several neighborhoods in Brooklyn. The seat is currently occupied by Major Owens, a black Democrat who has held it since 1983 and is retiring this year. One of the four candidates to replace him is David Yassky, a white Democrat who represents some of the same Brooklyn neighborhoods as a city councilman.

Mr. Owens has one of Congress's most liberal voting records, and there's nothing in the background of Mr. Yassky, a protégé of New York Senator Chuck Schumer, that suggests he would vote much differently. Even so, Mr. Owens and the three other candidates, all of whom are black, are on a mission to force Mr. Yassky out of the race. In the case of Mr. Owens, this has partly to do with the fact that his son is among those running in the September 12 Democratic primary. But Mr. Owens, the other black candidates and local black officials have stressed that their overriding concern is the color of Mr. Yassky's skin. And they're using the Voting Right Act to justify old-fashioned race-baiting.

New York's 11th District is a product of racial gerrymandering linked to passage of the Voting Rights Act. When Congress passed the law 40 years ago to address black disenfranchisement primarily in the Deep South, some provisions were made permanent and others temporary. Gone forever were poll taxes and grandfather clauses, but Section 5 provisions of the law dealing with "preclearance," or federal oversight of local election practices, were meant to be short-term. Study after study shows that preclearance is...

[Clemenza]

Racial gerrymandering has been a godsend to the GOP in the South, especially in Florida.

Besides, in NYC, you merely get a black Dem instead of a gay Dem or Jewish Dem.

[fishbabe]

And he's a JEWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!blacks can't possibly be represented by a JEWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!

[Onelifetogive]

Racial gerrymandering has been a godsend to the GOP in the South, especially in Florida.

I think that the biggest benefit has been to make the GOP more Conservative and the Dims more Leftist. Since the public is, generally, more Conservative, the polarization has led to the shift to GOP* control of all branches of the Federal Gov't.

*GOP control, not Conservative control.

[AzaleaCity5691]

Of course it has, you concentrate Democratic base voters into one district, for example, the 7th Congressional district, so that every other Congressional district, the margins are just too difficult to over come.

The reason I have a Democratic state senator is because my district is about 35% black. Then again, I think while it will be a close race, he's likely to be toppled this year. The reason I have a Democratic state house member, well, that district is 65% black, and incidentally, he is black as well. If you look at where the Republicans in the legislature come from, they are all elected in metropolitan areas, and they all come from heavily white districts.

[kjo]

WHEN IS SOMEBODY IN THE MSM GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE HORRIBLE LEVEL OF ANTI-SEMITISM IN THE DEMOCRAT PARTY?

[thoughtomator]

... or a Republican Dem.

[thoughtomator]

When hell freezes over?

[fishbabe]

You can't look at the VICTIMS anti semitism toooooo closely... That would make you a BIGOOOOOOOT!!!!!!!

[fishbabe]

It will be at least 20 centuries after hell freezing over that ANYONE in the MSM takes a look at the anti-semitism,racism,anti-christan bigotry....{Oh,and they will NEVER look at how our taxes are wasted]

[brwnsuga]

I love Jews.

[fishbabe]

OKAY.....You,walter williams,,shelby steele,thomas sowell,star parker,clarence thomas..That makes 5 decent,intelligent blacks that I know are smart enough to stay away from the race baiters....But,you and I both know that the majority of poor blacks are angry and resentful of the jews,asians and anyone else their "BLACK LEADERS" say are bringing down black people....