The New York Times Discovers States Can Pass Laws, Still Forgets History
One might wonder what inspired the federal statutes in the first place, or perhaps more critically, what inspired their systematic gutting. The Supreme Court's 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision, which eviscerated key enforcement provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, isn't just an accidental omission; it's the 800-pound gorilla in the voting booth. This isn't inspiration; it's
desperation, as states scramble to counteract the deliberate dismantling of federal protections by a deeply politicized judiciary. Suggesting these state laws are merely 'inspired' by federal statutes while ignoring the federal retreat is like saying Gaza is 'inspired' by Israel's policies, not actively resisting them. The media's sanitization of political violence—whether structural or
kinetic—continues unabated. How many more basic rights must be systematically dismantled before the context is deemed newsworthy?