Exceptional Behavior
Earlier today, I concluded a post with, "Feh! A pox on both their houses," (here) when reacting to the behavior of both parties in Congress. I may have been a little premature. Shortly thereafter I came across this article in the Washington Post. It's about a Texas state legislator willing to risk his health, perhaps even his life, to do the right thing.
Against his doctor's advice, a stooped and feeble state Sen. Mario Gallegos Jr. (D) arrives at the Texas Capitol each day, just to make sure his chamber does not take up a bill that would require voters to produce identification at the polls.
And when the rigors of the job start to wear on Gallegos, whose body is trying to reject a liver transplanted four months ago, he retires to a hospital-style bed -- donated by a Republican colleague -- in a room next to the Senate chamber.
Gallegos is putting his health at risk to block a measure he and others say could prevent many minorities and the elderly from taking part in elections in Texas.
The Republicans pushing the voter ID bill say illegal immigrants are voting in Texas elections and must be stopped. But Democrats say thousands of legal residents would lose the right to vote because they lack proper identification. Opponents of the measure -- including Gallegos, a Mexican American -- say minorities, the elderly and the poor are less likely than others to have driver's licenses or other documents.
Most of Gallegos's Houston-area constituents are black or Hispanic, and about a quarter of them live in poverty. About one in five speak little or no English. [Emphasis added]
Voter identification measures are just one of the tactics used by the GOP to keep "the wrong kind of people" (i.e., black, brown, poor, elderly) from voting because so many of them vote Democratic. The requirement of "official" identification is actually intended to intimidate these vulnerable citizens to the point where they won't even show up at the polls.
Mr. Gallegos represents a district filled with those "wrong kind of people" and is having none of that. His dedication to his constituents and to democratic principles is astounding in light of his poor health. He may be "stooped," but there clearly is nothing wrong with his spine.
Good on you, Mr. Gallegos. I'll be pulling for you in your health battle.
And to those Democrats in Washington? Here's a quarter: get a clue.
Against his doctor's advice, a stooped and feeble state Sen. Mario Gallegos Jr. (D) arrives at the Texas Capitol each day, just to make sure his chamber does not take up a bill that would require voters to produce identification at the polls.
And when the rigors of the job start to wear on Gallegos, whose body is trying to reject a liver transplanted four months ago, he retires to a hospital-style bed -- donated by a Republican colleague -- in a room next to the Senate chamber.
Gallegos is putting his health at risk to block a measure he and others say could prevent many minorities and the elderly from taking part in elections in Texas.
The Republicans pushing the voter ID bill say illegal immigrants are voting in Texas elections and must be stopped. But Democrats say thousands of legal residents would lose the right to vote because they lack proper identification. Opponents of the measure -- including Gallegos, a Mexican American -- say minorities, the elderly and the poor are less likely than others to have driver's licenses or other documents.
Most of Gallegos's Houston-area constituents are black or Hispanic, and about a quarter of them live in poverty. About one in five speak little or no English. [Emphasis added]
Voter identification measures are just one of the tactics used by the GOP to keep "the wrong kind of people" (i.e., black, brown, poor, elderly) from voting because so many of them vote Democratic. The requirement of "official" identification is actually intended to intimidate these vulnerable citizens to the point where they won't even show up at the polls.
Mr. Gallegos represents a district filled with those "wrong kind of people" and is having none of that. His dedication to his constituents and to democratic principles is astounding in light of his poor health. He may be "stooped," but there clearly is nothing wrong with his spine.
Good on you, Mr. Gallegos. I'll be pulling for you in your health battle.
And to those Democrats in Washington? Here's a quarter: get a clue.
Labels: vote suppression
posted by Diane at 11:36 AM
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