26th Amendment

A Day To Celebrate Promotion Of Human Rights: 150th Anniversary Of Emancipation Proclamation!

Today marks the most momentous day in all of American history, regarding the promotion of human rights! It is the 150th anniversary of the issuance by President Abraham Lincoln of the Emancipation Proclamation!

Lincoln had issued the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, five days after the bloody Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest day in the Civil War. His entire cabinet was opposed to what he did, and had doubts about the final issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation 100 days later.

But Abraham Lincoln had the guts, the courage, the conviction that ending slavery was an essential part of the advancement of American democracy, and would help promote the victory of the Union forces over the Confederacy.

Lincoln knew that the Emancipation Proclamation was only a pledge to end slavery, and that the only true way to bring it about was military victory, and the passage two years later of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, an event excellently portrayed in the movie LINCOLN, with Daniel Day-Lewis portraying the events leading to the passage of that amendment by the House of Representatives.

Slavery’s end did not mean an easy time or adjustment for African Americans or the nation, as racial violence and discrimination would be a sad part of the future, but it was a necessary step forward on the march of human rights, including later passage of the 14th Amendment, the 15th Amendment, the 19th Amendment, the 26th Amendment, the various Civil Rights Acts (1866, 1875, 1957, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1968), and significant Supreme Court decisions on civil rights of women, minorities, labor, young people, and gays and lesbians.

The march of time has been toward the granting of greater human rights, but it all began with Lincoln’s courageous gamble, 150 years ago today, and for that, as so much else, all Americans should salute him today!

And it is inspiring to see massive lines at the National Archives in Washington, DC, as the Emancipation Proclamation is on view for a limited time to celebrate the event, but with the need to preserve a document which is in fragile condition after a century and a half of existence.

What Lincoln did in 1863 is connected to the whole long range story of American history, the expansion of human rights for all, and this is what draws foreigners to wish to come to America, the land of liberty and opportunity!

The Republican Motivation For Power: Take Away Human Rights Already Granted!

America has developed over the past two centuries into a republic promoting democratic values and the advancement of human rights.

The Republican Party of 2011-2012, however, is making clear its desire to TAKE AWAY human rights already won over the past two centuries, with blood, sweat and tears!

We have seen the acquisition of voting rights in the 15th, 19th, 23rd, 24th, and 26th Amendments, as well as with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and yet now, the Republican Party in many states is working very hard to LIMIT the right to vote by unreasonable limitations that particularly affect African Americans, Hispanics and Latinos, college students, the elderly and the poor of all races!

Women have gained the right to control their own privacy, including control of their own bodies, through a Supreme Court decision in Roe V. Wade in 1973 and other Supreme Court decisions and legislative actions, and yet now in many of our states, the attempt to take away women’s rights, including the right of abortion, is being fiercely waged, including encouragement of violence against abortion providers and closing down of locations where a woman can pursue her reproductive rights.

Gay men and lesbians have gained the right to serve in the military openly, be married in several states, adopt children in most states, and have other basic human rights, but now the move is on to take away these rights so hard fought for!

Working people, both immigrants and those born in the US, have fought for labor protection and representation through formation of labor unions, which have now been undermined for decades, and the attempt to impoverish workers by corporations and their Republican allies is in full development!

This has been a land of immigrants, and yet the Republican Party of today believes in polarizing Americans against undocumented immigrants who they would support deporting in the millions, even with the fact that 98 percent of them have committed no crime beyond entering the nation in an illegal manner, and just want the opportunity to work toward eventual citizenship through learning English, paying fees, and waiting patiently in line for the “American Dream”, and yet now work at low wage jobs that no Americans wish to fill, particularly in agriculture, retail, and home and hotel services.

Americans in general have been able to see improved educational opportunities, better health care, and opportunities for better housing and safer environment and consumer protection due to past Democrats and moderate Republicans working to better conditions for the middle class and the poor, but now the goal of the GOP is to take away these advancements and simply promote the interests of the top one percent and the corporations that sit on money, refuse to hire, and instead use government money that saved them to give bonuses to overpaid, under worked executives, and to lobby corrupt politicians who do their bidding!

Will the nation at large continue to accept an opposition party that works to DENY all of the progress on voting rights, women’s rights, gay rights, labor rights, immigrant rights, and the advancements for the middle class and poor gained over two centuries?

Only if the people are appealed to based upon ignorance, emotion, prejudice, and manipulation! For the future of America, this cannot be allowed to happen, as it will undermine the social fabric of America for the long haul!

Rick Perry And Newt Gingrich: More “Shaking Of Heads” In Wonderment!

Texas Governor Rick Perry and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich continue to amaze, and in the process promote the “shaking of heads” in wonderment!

Fast fading Perry made a speech to a group of young people, and told them that if they were 21 by Election Day 2012, they should be sure to vote, apparently not aware of the 26th Amendment in 1971, which allows those citizens 18-21 to vote!

He also said that Election Day was November 12, 2012, which if people listen to him means they would be failing to participate in the election, as it is six days earlier, on November 6, 2012! He attributed his errors to his “age”, which means he is not fit to be President, and by the way, he is only in his early 60s, not an “old man” by definition!

At the same time, Newt Gingrich claims he was not acting as a lobbyist for various corporations, including in the health care industry, but instead was being paid for his expertise as former Speaker of the House, by earning $65,000 for half hour speeches, and made too much money as a lecturer, so did not need to be a lobbyist. What can one say to that, except that the author of this blog earns at the most a fee of $250 per hour speech as compared to Newt making $130,000 per hour, if he is able to have the energy to go beyond a half hour speech!

While Newt could say he has a Ph. D. in History and has been a professor and author, that kind of fee is really unbelievable, and makes this author, with the same credentials except being Speaker of the House, realize that IF with his expertise and knowledge, he could have ONE speech for an hour at Newt’s rate, he could relax for the rest of the year, without the materialistic need to make money of obscene amounts, and then claim to understand the average American!

So the “shaking of heads” about both Perry and Gingrich continues to “shake”!

Florida Republicans Attempting To Prevent Young Voter Registration And Prosecute Teachers Who Promote Good Citizenship!

The Republican Party of Florida and Governor Rick Scott are in the process of promoting prosecution of teachers who encourage their high school seniors to register to vote, the ultimate lesson in good citizenship.

The new voter registration law in Florida, very similar to that in other GOP governed states, makes it much more difficult for people to register to vote, requiring government sponsored ID cards; making it harder for college students to vote on their campuses; cutting down the number of days of voting ahead of Election Day; requiring people who change counties to cast a provisional ballot at the polls, which might not be counted; discouraging the League of Women Voters from promoting registration due to a demand that all signed applications must be handed in no later than two days after applications are completed; and assessing fines of up to $1,000 for delayed submission of applications.

Two teachers are facing fines for having missed the 48 hour deadline for student applications, which prosecutes teachers for promoting good citizenship, and discourages new, young voters.

It is clear that the GOP and Governor Scott are trying to intimidate minorities, young people, the elderly, and the poor so as to manipulate the vote to favor the Republican Presidential nominee in 2012. This is a violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965; the 14th Amendment; the 15th Amendment; the 19th Amendment; the 24th Amendment; and the 26th Amendment; and is being pursued in court as a corrupt attempt to fix election results in Florida, as well as elsewhere, by the Obama Administration.

Meanwhile, however, two teachers face fines, and this is another slap in the face to educators, who already have been shown lack of respect by other legislation in Florida which demeans their profession!

New Hampshire Republicans War On Young College Student Voters

The Republican Party is really big on alienating major blocs of voters with their narrow minded views on social issues and on economic issues, but now they are starting a “war” against college students and young people generally by attempting in New Hampshire to prevent them from voting in local elections and in state primaries and elections unless their parents become citizens of the state!

The argument used is that a majority of college students tend to be liberals and Democrats because they allow their “feelings” to govern their minds, and that they lack life experience, which apparently would make them Republicans and conservatives!

What an insult to young people, stereotyping them and trying to deny them the right to participate in elections where they live, working against the idea of voter participation as provided for in the 26th Amendment in 1971!

And the idea that most young people and college students are liberals is far from the case, as many young people were seen at the CPAC convention in Washington, DC, and there are indeed many young people who ally with conservatives and Republicans!

And to say that people vote their feelings is nothing new, as ALL voters do that! Could it not be possible that many young people, however, are not as selfish, self serving, and greedy as older voters, and actually care about more than their own self aggrandizement?

The Republican Party is giving more evidence every day that they are anti democracy and anti people! What else do people have to know to realize that the GOP is not the party of the people, but rather of the special interests?

Reality: The Youth Vote Dissipated As Compared To 2008! :(

One of the major factors in the Democrats losing control of the House, and six seats in the Senate, was the deteriorating youth vote, those 18-29!

23 million young people voted in 2008, many of them for Barack Obama and the Democrats, but only an estimated 9 million voted this time, and overall, only 11 percent of young people voted!

Many young people have excuses for failing to vote, including “being busy”, “not being aware of the issues”, etc., but they are lame! 🙁

All these excuses are just that–excuses–and it has been a constant battle to convince young people that being a voting citizen is important, no matter what their political and partisan views!

All over the world, people have died for the right to vote, and the battle for the 26th Amendment was fought in the 1960s to give young people 18-21 the right to vote, and it is frustrating how people of 18-29 years of age seem to fail to realize their responsibility, and the necessity of voting!

The old saying is that people get the government they deserve, so as long as young people in large numbers fail to vote, those in government will ignore their issues and problems, until they learn of the absolute necessity of being mature citizens who realize they have an obligation to vote!