This is Viewpoints for Wednesday, May 18, 2016

All letters having to do with the May 24 election must be received by noon Friday, May 20.

Minor is major

I read Charles E. Richardson's Sunday column. It is clear that Richardson lacks an understanding of the role of the NAACP in ensuring the political participation of all Americans. Richardson's column was seriously flawed. He assumes the NAACP's focus on the Godfrey 2 Precinct is the sum total of our agenda in Macon-Bibb County. It is not. The NAACP, New Georgia Project and the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights under Law will continue working in coalition with local citizens seeking to exercise their constitutional and statutory rights. This includes redressing the repeated failures of the Macon-Bibb County Board of Elections to give proper notice as required by O.C.G.A. Sec. 21-2-265(a). Changing a precinct without notice is not minor in an presidential election cycle with the balance of the Supreme Court hanging in the balance. With all due respect, that is not minor.

Yet Richardson's column is unsurprising. Whenever my predecessors fought for their constitutional rights, especially the Voting Rights Act, pundits and editorial boards admonished them to focus on other areas as well. Let me be clear: the NAACP will mortgage every asset we have to secure the unfettered access to the ballot box. The vote is sacred. It has been made so by the blood, sweat and tears of our forebearers.

If Richardson wanted a civil conversation about voting rights, I wish he would have given me that opportunity before he took to a column to trash this state's oldest and largest civil rights organization's efforts as lunacy. I would have told him that the right to vote in America is under grave assault.

On June 25, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, removing a critical tool to combat racial discrimination in voting. Under Section 5 of the landmark civil rights law, jurisdictions with a history of discrimination, such as Macon, must seek pre-approval of changes in voting rules that could affect minorities. This process, known as “preclearance,” blocks discrimination before it occurs.

Before Shelby, this polling place relocation would have been subject to Department of Justice Pre-Clearance. Until Congress fixes the Voting Rights Act, consider our coalition the Department of Justice.

If he had asked, I would have told him that this November, voters in 17 states will head to the polls with new voting restrictions in place for the first time in 50 years. I would have reminded him that this is a high-stakes presidential election. We could have discussed disturbing tends limiting who can cast a ballot. Perhaps, we could have discussed ways to make voting more accessible and convenient for every citizens in Macon.

The NAACP has serious reasons to be concerned. Seven of the 11 states with the highest African American turnout in 2008 have new voting restrictions in place. Further, four times more African American than white voters report a 30-plus minute wait time. Is that minor?

If he had asked, I would have told Richardson about the New Georgia Project's Statewide Voter Empowerment plan and the Lawyer's Committee's Election Protection program. This work is significant to struggling communities without access to expensive lobbyists, silk stocking lawyers and powerful legislators.

Richardson has no idea what the NAACP plans are to register, educate and turn out voters in Macon-Bibb County because he never asked. If he had, I would have educated him on the fact that the NAACP has been concerned about every aspect of voting for 107 years.

Voting even at one precinct for NAACP is not minor. It should not be minor for any American. From the American Revolutionary War to latest the battles in Afghanistan, we send our men and women around the world to defend democracy. What Richardson considers minor, I consider major and a right which should never be taken for granted.

Now Richardson may not see the chilling effect that using a police station as a precinct may hold for some citizens. However, I would have urged him to look through the photos of any newspaper, including The Telegraph. Richardson should remember that it was the police who brutally enforced post Civil War black codes and the Jim Crow laws of the 20th century. Still further, it is law enforcement that maintain the front lines of the war on drugs that has fueled the prison industrial complex. Those are realities that have shaped fears and perceptions.

To be clear, Macon-Bibb Sheriff David Davis is a good man. He is proud member of the Macon-Bibb NAACP. He understands these issues. However, this is not about him. This is about ensuring the political participation of all citizens.

In conclusion, if Richardson or anyone in Macon wants to work on a pro-voter agenda that expands the rights of Macon citizens to participate in the search for the common good, lets talk about major improvements that could include automatic registration, portability in registration and online voting.

Coward’s way out?

It’s now clear that an overbearing billionaire will be my party’s nominee for president. Like many fellow conservatives, I’m faced with a very difficult decision. If I don’t cast my ballot for Donald Trump, I can vote for Hillary Clinton, support a third-party candidate, or stay home on Nov. 8. I will never knowingly vote for a deceitful megalomaniac, so the first option is out of the question. However, if I choose one of the other options, I will be helping to clear her path to the White House. Disaffected conservatives who hoped for a more qualified nominee are dangling above the pointed horns of a frightful dilemma. Is voting for the least objectionable candidate the coward’s way out as many would have you believe?

Farce?

Donald Trump has shown the Republican establishment that he is indeed a farce to be reckoned with.

This story was originally published May 17, 2016 at 9:00 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Wednesday, May 18, 2016."