Undeterred by the Long, Slow Line Toward Democracy

colorlines.com — In his victory speech, President Obama was generous with his thanks, notably showing appreciation for those who participated actively in democracy, giving a shout out to everyone who “voted for the very first time, or waited in line for a very long time,” before adding to loud cheers, “By the way, we have to fix that.” Here’s why we need to fix that. All voters didn’t have to wait in long lines. When you look at the pictures, you find mostly people of color in those lines that stretched literally as long as the day. Those voters, many of them low-income who missed work and had to pay babysitters to stand in lines that long, bore the burden of democracy so that we could move forward. Not only that, but they withstood voter suppression, intimidation and utter confusion so that the nation wouldn’t move backwards to a time where that and a lot worse was the norm during elections.

more »