State lawmakers’ rush to gerrymander congressional districts has exploded since the Supreme Court’s Callais ruling gutted what remains of the Voting Rights Act, allowing Southern states to eliminate majority-Black districts under the pretext of partisan gerrymandering.
This week in OtherWords, Jordan Liz argues that their express intention has been to erase the Black vote. He calls on members of both parties to end both racial and partisan gerrymandering and to restore the Voting Rights Act.
Also this week, Farrah Hassen calls on the U.S. to halt its campaign of missile strikes on boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific. These strikes, which have killed nearly 200 people, are often described as attacks on drug traffickers, but Farrah argues there’s no evidence for this — and even if there were, the government can’t simply execute anyone accused of a crime.
And speaking of a slippery slope, Sulma Arias, a Salvadoran American organizer, explains why Americans should call for the release of Salvadoran attorney Ruth Lopez, who’s been imprisoned by the country’s authoritarian leader. “The Trump administration now looks to El Salvador not only as a destination for those it illegally detains and deports, but also as a model for how any of us can be detained and held indefinitely without charges,” she warns.
New This Week…
GOP Gerrymandering Is Erasing the South’s Black Voters | Jordan Liz
Gerrymandering gives us government for politicians by politicians. We must end it and restore the Voting Rights Act.
The U.S. Must End Its Illegal Boat Strikes | Farrah Hassen
The boat strikes have killed nearly 200 people, many of them fishermen. Who will be held accountable?
She Spoke Up for Due Process. Now She’s Detained Without Charges. | Sulma Arias
Americans should demand the release of jailed Salvadoran lawyer Ruth Lopez — because it can happen here, too.
In Case You Missed It…
The Supreme Court’s War on the Voting Rights Act Sends America Backwards | Dedrick Asante-Muhammad
It took 60 years for Black Americans to get representation in Congress proportionate to their numbers. Now we’re likely to backslide.
Private Equity Is Taking Over Nursing Homes — And Seniors Are Paying the Price | Scott Doerr
When corporations take over public health care, quality decreases, and patients suffer. Medicaid cuts could lead to the same result.
Reclassifying Medical Marijuana Was Long Overdue, But It’s Not Enough | Paul Armentano
States should be able to regulate cannabis like alcohol.
