The Gangsterization of Our Politics

barberFrom William Barber’s recent comments in a Democracy Now interview:

Before all of the latest news, Judge Kavanaugh, first of all, was being put forward after McConnell in the Senate held open a seat for over 420 days, in a way that we had not seen since the Civil War. They literally denied a president his right to nominate someone and for them to have a hearing. This was the same Judiciary Committee that denied two African-American women a hearing to be appointed to the federal court, the 1st District—Eastern District in North Carolina. So the process was bad from the beginning.

Secondly, what we are seeing now, if we look at George Bush and now Donald Trump, we are poised to have two presidents that did not win the popular vote now will appoint—will have appointed four members to the Supreme Court, four extreme members to the Supreme Court. We already have a Supreme Court that rolled back the Voting Rights Act. Kavanaugh, we believe, will be dangerous to voting rights, to labor rights, to healthcare and to women’s rights…

Now that this has come out—and I’ve been thinking about it in a number of ways. Number one, this lady did not intend to come out. Dr. Ford, she—it was leaked. And she has asked for a FBI investigation. That’s strange for someone that the extremists, who call them Republicans, are trying to say she’s lying. But be it as it may, it’s all alleged. I heard Michael Moore mention a minute ago about the feminist side of this, the woman’s side of this agenda. Let me flip this over. Imagine Obama nominating a black or a Latino man for the Supreme Court, and an accusation comes up that that black or Latino man had attempted to rape a teenage girl. Imagine that for a minute, and imagine what the Republicans would be doing if in fact that was the scene that we’re dealing with now. Here they are having a white man for the Supreme Court nominee accused of raping—attempting to rape a white woman, and they are already forming an opinion and wanting to refuse to even give her an FBI investigation. This is nothing but the gangsterization of our politics and our political systems, and people in America must stand up against this entire process, because it is a direct—it’s contrary to our fundamental values.

2 thoughts on “The Gangsterization of Our Politics

  1. marciaclancy

    This link does not work for me. Have others given this same feedback? Maybe it’s just my computer today…. Hope you all are well. Thanks for your good work. Marcia

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    1. Suzanne Joyce

      There are several parts of William Barber’s comments that really hit home for me. The first was the time issue. President Obama nominates someone to the Supreme Court and he does not even get a hearing. President Trump nominates someone and hearings are held almost immediately. Mitch McConnell says that he will bring this nomination to a vote ASAP, even though serious allegations have been made against the nominee. Secondly, although I think that I understand why the founding fathers did not install a system of direct election of a president, and may even agree that they were right—–back then—-now that we have had two presidents who did not win the popular vote, just the Electoral College vote, I am no sure that this system is still reasonable. Especially when the possibilities of what those two presidents can do that will affect all of us, our children, and grandchildren become so obvious. I have some reading and studying to do, and I hope that most Americans will join me in doing that, and will demand that their members of Congress not act immediately.

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