there has been a one hundred and fifty year campaign wholly devoted to stop people from voting. like, murders and stuff. bombings. things of that nature. death, what have you. https://t.co/nCjZNBV4oI
— World Famous Art Thief (@CalmSporting) May 4, 2022
Because there is always a fresh crop of twenty-something transanarchist Discordians (or bots emulating them) who wouldn’t have been paying attention in civics class if there ever was a civics class in their curriculum. (Also, several commentors requested Ms. Semrau’s argument be front-paged. Remember — sharing is caring!)
I don’t know how anyone can look at the historical arcs of civil rights, labor rights, LGBTQ rights, and women’s rights and then think to themselves, “Well, I tried voting once and nothing changed, so I guess I’m not going to vote again.”
— Magdi Semrau (@magi_jay) May 4, 2022
There is almost a profound disrespect here, particularly to Black citizens, who, even while oppressed & threatened with state-sanctioned violence, continued to fight until many, but not all, rights were won.
Now Black citizens’ already insufficient rights–gathered over the course of more than a century–are under threat & allies throw up their arms because apparently change is not happening quickly enough? Because we cannot see the immediate benefit of every vote we cast?
I think of this need for immediate gratification & how, on the left, we let it dissuade us from voting. I then think of the years of planning that went into the strategy of non-violence. That a decade passed btwn the Montgomery Bus Boycotts & the passage of the Civil Rights Act.