{"id":632,"date":"2012-03-04T16:09:00","date_gmt":"2012-03-04T21:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alwayswithluv.com\/blog\/?p=632"},"modified":"2012-03-04T16:22:30","modified_gmt":"2012-03-04T21:22:30","slug":"back-to-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwayswithluv.com\/blog\/2012\/03\/04\/back-to-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Back to the Future"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Today is March Forth and Do Something Day!<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Are we really going back to the future? Today, individual states are passing strict voter ID laws that are undoubtedly designed to disenfranchise the poor, people of color, the elderly and young people. No longer will folks be able to show utility bills and other items as a form of ID for voting. This may discourage some people from participating. Instead of making the process easier, some are working hard to find new ways to suppress the vote right before our very eyes.<\/p>\n

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On this March 4th, folks are\u00a0once again marching\u00a0from Selma to Montgomery<\/a>, Alabama, just as many did in 1965, where blood was shed and some died.\u00a0They are literally marching forth and doing something<\/strong> today!\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Reverend Al Sharpton\/National\u00a0Action Network, along with\u00a0congressional leaders, activists and everyday citizens will start at the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 4th and will march at least 10 miles per day, stay in tents along Route 80, convene rallies and teach-ins along the way, and finally gather in front of the Alabama State Capitol on Friday, March 9th.<\/p>\n

In 1965, African American men in the United States had already possessed a \u201ctheoretical\u201d right to vote for almost a hundred years (see 15th Amendment of the US Constitution). But, by the 20th century, new constitutions were adopted disenfranchising African-American voters. Black citizens attempting to exercise their constitutional right to vote encountered many barriers that they often found insurmountable. These included poll taxes, literacy tests, clauses that limited voting to people whose ancestors had voted in the past, and party primary elections that were limited to whites.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s march is to not only commemorate those marches made in 1965, which helped to rush Congress to enact the legislation called The Voting Rights Act<\/em>; but to also shine a light on what is happening today with voter rights laws. The rules are changing. Some of which include: tougher voter ID requirements,\u00a0getting the required ID\u00a0will be\u00a0harder; making it harder for groups to register others to vote; eliminating same day registration; reducing the number of days for early voting; and more. Further reading can be found at Brennan Center for Justice<\/a> website “Voting Law Changes in 2012\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

What can you do?\u00a0 YOU can March forth and…<\/span><\/p>\n