OpEd

Fighting Against COVID, Fighting for Voting Rights on Jan. 17

Dr. Reed Tuckson is relentless about the COVID-19 virus. He is unmistakably clear that everyone, especially Black Americans, needs to take the COVID-19 vaccine and the booster, too.

Tuckson is the vigilant leader of Blacks Against COVID-19, a national organization that provides trustworthy, reliable and relatable information to minority communities on all aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization states that it also arranges direct services in the Washington, D.C. region and nationally.

Dr. Tuckson did not mince his words this week, as well, when he warned members of the MLK Holiday DC Committee of the repercussions of holding a march into Ward 8. Residents of Ward 8, he reminded them, represent the area with the highest number of COVID-19 cases in D.C., the highest number of deaths resulting from COVID-19 and the area with the lowest number of residents vaccinated.

His words reverberated loudly throughout the planning of the MLK Holiday DC events. Organizers pondered if their decision to host a march was irresponsible. How would they keep people safe from COVID-19 or the Omicron variant, and what message could they leave encouraging Ward 8 residents to fight the pandemic with all their might?

We agree with Dr. Tuckson that COVID-19 must be taken seriously and that it is a deadly disease. If masks, social distancing and taking the vaccine protect lives, then wear a mask, keep your distance and take the doggone vaccine. A strong message needs to remind residents that the deaths of COVID-19 in D.C. are mostly among Black people of all ages. And that they must take all precautions to help stop the spread of the virus.

We also agree with Martin Luther King, III, who has asked all Americans to join him in the fight on the holiday named after his beloved father to fight for voting rights. January 17 is the day that members of the Senate may vote on two voting rights bills and help to restore the Voting Rights Act.

During a speech in Atlanta Tuesday, President Joe Biden said, “The United States Supreme Court has weakened the Voting Rights Act in recent years. And now the defeated former president and his supporters use the Big Lie about the 2020 election to fuel torrent and torment and anti-voting laws — new laws designed to suppress your vote, to subvert our elections.

“I believe that the threat to our democracy is so grave that we must find a way to pass these voting rights bills, debate them and vote. Let the majority prevail. And if that bare minimum is blocked, we have no option but to change the Senate rules, including getting rid of the filibuster for this.”

We share the sentiment that all efforts must be made to stop the COVID-19 virus from killing our community. And we also understand that a strong message must be sent to protect every American’s right to vote. Both issues can be addressed together on one day, demanding that those who have the power and the ability must restore voting rights while protecting themselves from COVID-19.

It can be done. It must be done. On January 17, it will be done. WI

Voting Should Be a Guaranteed Right for All Americans

As Americans look to the midterm elections this fall, one thing that remains abundantly clear is the degree to which some lawmakers and citizens alike will go to keep “some people” from freely and easily exercising their Constitutional right to vote.

But before we get too engrossed in debates and arguments lodged at the “doorkeepers of white privilege” or other “privileged groups,” it might be prudent to take a fresh look at American history.

When the Founding Fathers were establishing this country, while they were adamant that they wanted to secure a nation built on the premises of democracy, they also held fast to the notion that voting should not be a privilege for everyone. In fact, history reminds us that only white men who owned property were considered to have the intellectual prowess needed to objectively chose their elected leaders.

Women were not allowed to vote. Slaves and then, former slaves, were not allowed to vote. Other distinctions would later be made between those who had the “right” to vote and those who should be and were denied the right to vote, like those convicted of a felony and sentenced to jail.

The list has grown over time.

And yet, America has continued to proclaim itself as a democratic society where “all men [and women?] are created equal.

TO THE EDITOR

Winter Wonderland

I can’t speak for anyone else, but I, for one, enjoyed the blanket of snow the D.C. area received last week. So much so that I went out in the snow with my grandkids and had a grand old time, and we took plenty of pictures. Afterward, we had hot chocolate and pizza! It was a simple but joyful day out in nature’s snow. Long story short: I love the snow!

Timothy Williams Washington, D.C.

It’s clearly a paradox. And the irony we face today is just how many of our elected officials believe, or at least profess to believe, that voting is more of a privilege than a right.

There are many things that are positive about our nation and how we treat one another. But there are also many things that illustrate our xenophobia, prejudice, bigotry and hatred for “the other.”

It’s time that Americans stop “talking the talk” and begin to “walk the walk.”

Voting is an essential element in American citizenship. It is the way we the people express our desires, our needs, our likes and our dislikes. And no matter what one’s race, creed, religion, gender, education or financial status, we are all Americans.

And as American citizens, by definition, everyone should have the right to vote without facing any unnecessary, illogical hindrances.

Aren’t we “one nation” or was that just rhetoric delivered at the Constitutional Convention in 1776 by a group of privileged, wealthy landowners?

As Langston Hughes reminded us in his poem, “I, Too,” America must live up to its lofty promises.

The question, however, remains whether we ever will.

WI

The Truth Behind Jan. 6

It’s been a year since the January 6 insurrection, and now we must live that modern travesty over and over. All of the media and talking heads are talking around what went on and are scared to say that “racists” stormed the capital and quite forcibly said, “to hell with democracy.” They said this is “our” country, and we do what we want with minimum consequences, if any.

Annetta Griffin Washington, D.C.

Guest Columnist

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson

Congress Must Act to Protect the Right to Vote

Jan. 6, 2022, marked one year since the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol, incited by a president voted out of office by the vast majority of the American people.

What is now clear is that Donald Trump and his zealous aides and complicit right-wing legislators were deadly serious about overturning the results of that vote and keeping Trump in office. They failed but have since launched a systematic campaign in states across the country to make it possible to succeed the next time.

Trump's bumbling gang of the incompetent, the craven, the corrupt and the certifiable are often difficult to take seriously. That is a mistake. Over the past year, Republican officials have taken up the cause and moved steadily to rig the rules in their favor. The overwhelming majority of Republicans now believe Trump's Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen, despite it being rejected by the courts, by Trump's own attorney general, by professional Republican election officials and even by the partisan audits that Republicans have wasted millions on. Craven Republican legislators repeat the Big Lie, too fearful of Trump's wrath to tell the truth.

That Big Lie has been used to justify a systematic attempt to rig the rules against the majority. Republican state legislators have introduced hundreds of bills to make it more difficult to vote, particularly for minorities and the young. In states like Wisconsin and North Carolina and Texas, partisan gerrymandering draws districts designed to enable the minority party to win a majority of the seats in the state legislatures and congressional districts. The Big Lie has been used to terrorize election officials and to replace professionals with partisans committed to a certain outcome, not a fair election count.

Even worse, in states like Georgia, Republicans in state legislatures have given themselves the power to reject election results if they don't like the outcome. This legislative offensive is bolstered by the threat and presence of violence. Election officials who tell the truth have their lives and families threatened. A staggering onethird of Republicans say that violence may be necessary to achieve their political ends. This assault on democracy is fueled by a racial backlash against the growing electoral power of people of color.

This isn't the first time that democracy has been assaulted. After the Civil War freed the slaves, the 15th Amendment was passed to prohibit discrimination in the right to vote. When coalitions of Black and white people emerged to threaten the privilege and power of the plantation South, the reaction

Guest Columnist

Marian Wright Edelman

Honoring Beloved Archbishop Desmond Tutu

On Dec. 26, the world lost beloved South African Archbishop and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Desmond Tutu. An outspoken defender of human rights and campaigner for justice for the oppressed, Archbishop Tutu was a prophetic voice in our world today revered for his commitment to fighting poverty, racism, and all forms of discrimination against any human beings, and his dedication to reshaping our conversations about peace, equality, and forgiveness.

He left his early career as a teacher to protest the 1953 Bantu Education Act that segregated South Africa's schools. He then followed the calling to the priesthood, and ultimately became a moral leader adored and respected around the world who fought first for the end of South African apartheid and then for the truth-telling and reconciliation his nation required in order to move forward.

As a joyful, holy man who spent his whole life in solidarity with marginalized people, Archbishop Tutu was always a champion for children. Several years ago he sent a special video address to attendees at the Children's Defense Fund's annual Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry, where his daughter, Rev. Nontombi Naomi Tutu, has been a valued workshop leader. In this message to faithful child advocates he shared a timeless exhortation for pursuing justice: "Justice needs champions. Good leaders with the ability to identify the challenges and the tenacity to address them. Good leaders driven not by personal ambition, but by an innate desire to improve the circumstances of the human family and the human condition."

He continued: "We inhabit a moral universe. Goodness, righteousness, and fairness matter. We are born to love — all of us, including black, Latino, and white [children] and everyone else. As members of the human

Guest Columnist

Marc H. Morial

One Year Later, the January 6 Insurrection Still Rages On

"Our democracy was inches from ruin. Our system of government was stretched to the breaking point. Members and staff were terrorized. Police officers fought hand to hand for hours. People lost their lives … Either you're on the side of helping us figure out why, or you're trying to stop us from getting those answers. You can parade out whatever argument you want, but really, that's all there is to it. In real life, there aren't a lot of bright-line moments. This is one of them." — U.S. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, chair of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol

A year ago on Jan. 6, Americans watched in horror and revulsion as a savage mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, intent upon overturning a fair and free election through violence or even murder, if necessary. The Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol has interviewed more than 300 witnesses and reviewed tens of thousands of documents. The Department of Justice has charged more than 700 defendants with alleged crimes ranging from entering restricted Capitol grounds to conspiracy against the United States.

Yet the attack on American democracy continues, unabated.

The ongoing assault relies less on brute violence — though the threat is ever-present — and more on subversion. But the motivation, the fuel, and the ultimate goal remain as stark and repugnant as they were revealed to be on that dark day one year ago.

The motivation is furious resentment of the historic Black and brown voter turnout that contributed to the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. The fuel is the "Big Lie" — the ugly myth that the election was "stolen." And the goal is not only to disenfranchise Black and brown Americans with repressive voting laws, not only to dilute their influence with manipulative racial gerrymandering, but to ignore the

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family — God's family — we were created with equal, infinite worth for interdependence. In conditions of harmony, equity, and common purpose, the whole family thrives. God does not use strong-armed tactics to ensure justice is done. God empowers us to do the right thing. It is up to us — you, and you, and you, and me."

Archbishop Tutu then shared what he believed is God's dream for all

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Guest Columnist

My Best Wishes for 2022

Most of these are the same wishes that I advocated for in a column for the year 1993. They are as relevant today as they were then: • That we realize that contrary to popular belief, we are not a weak people. In fact, we have many strengths that can be the foundation for a powerful and productive group. We need to concentrate on identifying and building on these strengths.

• That we reject those who attempt to convince us that supporting self-help and strong family values is somehow to become politically conservative as defined by those who don’t I have our best interests at heart. Such positions, along with self-respect, self-determination and self-defense have always had strong appeal to most Black folks because they make sense to any group of people trying to promote and protect their vital interests. These values seem to have been momentarily forgotten in the rush for integration.

• That Black students on all levels will totally reject anyone, young or old, Black or white, who tells them that striving for academic excellence is the same as trying to be white. Such a person or persons are as much an enemy of our people as the most ardent member of the Ku Klux Klan. • That we as a people will use our collective resources more effectively as an instrument for advancing our economic, cultural and political opportunities. • That we as adult Black folks will use our talent and other resources to build or open well-supervised community centers for our teenagers where they will have opportunities for learning and fun in a safe setting. • That we will more effectively support those committed teachers and administrators that are working hard to educate our children. I also wish that more Brothers can be persuaded to become teachers. • That we as a people will understand that our too often apathy and refusal to deal with a reality check contributes heavily to the problems that confront us in too many of our neighborhoods. • That Black folks who do destructive things in our communities understand that they are actively aiding those white supremacists that would like for all of us to disappear. • That we as people will do much more to educate our children about our history and our culture in this country and throughout the world. • That we understand that a Pan-Africanist movement is the most effective way for our people throughout the world to promote and protect our interests. WI

A. Peter Bailey

Guest Columnist

Ben Jealous

The Big Truth: The Big Problem is the Big Lie

It's been a year since a mob of Trumpists violently attacked the U.S. Capitol. They wanted to stop Congress from affirming President Joe Biden's victory. Some of them were out for blood. All of them were motivated by the former president's Big Lie that he won the election but that his victory was stolen from him and his supporters.

That lie has been debunked by journalists and election officials — both Republicans and Democrats. It has been rejected by courts. But it has never been abandoned by Trump or his right-wing allies. And so one year after it fueled an attack on Congress and the Constitution, the Big Lie is still a big threat to our democracy.

The Big Lie causes big harms in lots of ways by fueling anger and mistrust about our elections among Trump's base.

Many if not most Republican officials know that Trump's Big Lie is not true. But they are cynical and corrupt enough to use it to justify new voter suppression laws and other schemes to overturn the will of the voters. Far-right activists have harassed and threatened election officials across the country. And they are trying to get elected to state and local positions that will give them the power to oversee future elections.

Donald Trump would love to go into the 2024 elections knowing that he has loyal Trumpists in

Askia-At-Large

Askia Muhammad Congressional Dems' Salt Has Lost Its Savor

There once was a time when the bad guys quaked at the knees at the dreaded thought of appearing before a congressional committee investigation. The fear was that The Truth of one's dirty deeds would be made known, and the crooked people would get the punishment that they deserved.

The mighty could be laid low and the ne'er-do-wells would squirm in the glare of negative publicity when one of those committees got a hold of you. In those days, not even wrongdoers wanted the truth known of their despicable deeds.

But today, twice-impeached, one-term, former President Donald J. Trump has said the congressional investigation into his attempted overthrow of the constitutional government on Jan. 6, 2021, be damned!

He stands in open defiance of the committee and its subpoenas, and he has ordered his minions to do the same.

This will turn out very ugly in the end. These would-be fascists don't care anything about preserving democracy in this country, about the 230-plus-year tradition of peaceful transfers of power from administration to administration. Forget that. Clearly the Trumpistas are more concerned with power, than they are with the integrity place to reject or "find" as many votes as he needs to declare victory. That's why Trump has endorsed the effort by Rep. Jody Hice to replace Georgia's Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Raffensperger refused to embrace the Big Lie, stood up to Trump's bullying, and respected the will of the voters. Hice has promoted the Big Lie. That's the kind of guy Trump wants deciding which votes to count — and not count — in 2024.

Trump has endorsed other sec-

of the U.S. Constitutional system.

To put it simply: they want all future decisions and policies in this country to openly favor white people. Furthermore, to be certain, they want practically all white people in the positions making all future political decisions.

Clearly, this country did not learn the lessons concerning white supremacy taught by the Civil War. Then, they even labeled their quest as "The Lost Cause." It is a pseudo-historical negationist myretary of state candidates, and his political henchman Steve Bannon in encouraging Trumpists to try to replace election officials at the local level.

Meanwhile, state legislators are making it easier for partisan Republicans in state legislatures to mess with vote counting by taking control from local officials — and even to simply override the will of the voters.

That is why we urgently need

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thology that claims the cause of the Confederate States during the American Civil War was just, heroic, and not centered on slavery. A fantasy, just like Trump's "Big Lie" claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

These jingoes, called Christians, misread all the Scriptures they profess, because if they believed their own Bible which warns: "You

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