North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory yesterday signed the state’s new voter ID law, requiring voters to present photo identification at the polls. The Southern Coalition for Social Justice was among groups immediately filing suit, with lawyer Allison Riggs calling the law “a naked attempt to predetermine election outcomes by making it harder for certain people to vote: poor people, people of color, elderly people and young people.”
Singer John Legend tonight went a step further, calling the voter ID law “the new Jim Crow.”
@johnlegend That's the reaction we all should have.
— Day✨ (@day_cie) August 14, 2013
Not quite.
@johnlegend what's wrong with showing an ID proving you are who you represent to be and indeed have a right to vote?
— Monica McCauley (@MoUknow) August 14, 2013
https://twitter.com/umarjones/status/367441294462681090
@johnlegend Great. Hope many other states follow suit.
— Tom Modern (@tom_modern) August 14, 2013
https://twitter.com/jjtwigg/status/367441979778793472
@johnlegend isn't it just suspending pre registration for 17 year olds? The birth certificate can be purchased by anyone at the sec o state
— Michael Weinrich (@mikeRweinrich) August 14, 2013
@johnlegend – Is this the voter ID law? How does this law oppress Black people more? sorry for my ignorance, i'm from the UK.
— Kahil Ali (@Kahil__Ali) August 14, 2013
Actually, voter ID is the new new Jim Crow; Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons has already claimed that title for the nation’s drug sentencing laws.
The drug laws are a war on black children. The prisons are full of non violent 1st time drug offenders #jimcrow
— Russell Simmons (@UncleRUSH) December 26, 2012
* * *
Update:
Legend, 34, wasn’t around for the old Jim Crow, but Rep. John Lewis was. So, shut up.
I'm getting tweet lectures from the tea party about the "real Jim Crow" and MLK. I'll ask Rep John Lewis about that. Thanks though.
— John Legend (@johnlegend) August 14, 2013
Related:
John Legend surprised Gov. Rick Perry still allowed to talk
Touré and John Legend sneer at ‘cognitive dissonance’ of black Rush Limbaugh fans
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