August 3, 2012

• Better rights than me? Um…..maybe?

  The right is heaving it’s collective bosom over a court action in the state of Ohio that seeks to overturn Ohio’s legislation which gives military members and their families an additional three days to get their votes in.  It’s unfair to the military who serve us 24/7 and who should be given special rights!  say the self proclaimed patriots and defenders of the Constitution.  It’s Obama stealing the elections, is another cry.

  Maybe.

  Maybe not.

  You see, there is this pesky little part of the Constitution called the equal protection clause.  Legal experts at the Cornell legal site Legal Information Institute define violating the equal protection clause in this manner:  In other words, the laws of a state must treat an individual in the same manner as others in similar conditions and circumstances.

    And in further explanation:  Generally, the question of whether the equal protection clause has been violated arises when a state grants a particular class of individuals the right to engage in an activity yet denies other individuals the same right. There is no clear rule for deciding when a classification is unconstitutional. The Supreme Court has dictated the application of different tests depending on the type of classification and its effect on fundamental rights. Traditionally, the Court finds a state classification constitutional if it has “a rational basis” to a “legitimate state purpose.” The Supreme Court, however, has applied more stringent analysis in certain cases. It will “strictly scrutinize” a distinction when it embodies a “suspect classification.” In order for a classification to be subject to strict scrutiny, it must be shown that the state law or its administration is meant to discriminate.

  The Democratic National Convention, the Obama for America Campaign and the Ohio Democratic Party have sued in Ohio court to overturn this legislation, saying that it violates the equal protection clause.  To hear the heaving right-wingers, this is the only group offended.  Not true.  The Justice Department’s division of Civil Rights is also suing.  Of course, the spin here is that the Justice Department is suing because the head of the department was appointed by Obama, therefore it’s just another conspiracy to keep the Republican vote suppressed.

  I’ll pause here so you can go bang your head.

  What the Breitbart, Foxnews, Rightwing News, etc sites are not mentioning is that Ohio, who had early voting opportunities up to 35 days prior to an election, changed that law to a mere 3 days before an election, a move that greatly diminished the voting ability of groups who leaned heavily toward the Democrats, such as college students.

  Ah yes, that pesky balance thing again.

  As this election nears, look for more and more side-winding attempts to discourage voting by various groups against other groups, always in the name of protecting the vote from fraud.  One thing I’m noticing in almost every site I go to is a banner ad proclaiming that Tom Corbett (the idiot who is PA’s governor) is trying to steal the vote and turn it against Obama.  Sign the petition!  Send money!  Tell the bums what you really think!

  You know what I think?  Do you really want to know?

  I want to know the following: 1. Romney’s tax returns for the past 10 years.  If your dad could do it, why can’t you?

                                             2. Obama to once and for all to speak a clear sentence and leave out the ums, ahs, and insufficient information.

                                              3. Fox News to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  Or shut up.

                                             CBS, NBC, CNN, ABC, et al to do the same.

                                             4. Political spinners to be shut up until the day after the election.

                                            5. There to be three head to head debates on the following:  first, The rebuilding of the economy, second, the military and foreign policy and the third on social issues such as education, health-care REFORM, and the budget.

                                             6. I want robocalling to cease immediately.

                                             7.  I want each side to have a 50 million dollar budget.  They decide how to spend it but they get no more and no less.

                                             Every other group to stay out of it.  No back stage George Soros or Koch Brothers, no corporations, no unions, etc.

                                            8.  Every person to have equal access to an electronic, paper or other type of secure ballot.

                                            9. The Tea Party to actually READ the Constitution that they wave around.  All of it.  Not just the paraphrased parts.

  It’s time to stop the breast heaving and finger pointing folks.  Neither side is totally right and neither side is totally wrong.  The only wrong thing in our government right now is that the Congress refuses to do it’s job.

  But that’s a whole ‘nuther post.

   

   

   

  • 9:30 am
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