Opinion: Act now, at Capitol Hill and Beacon Hill, to preserve voting rights

Evan J. Francis
·1 min read

Someday all Americans will look back at this moment. The days of 2021 and 2022 when Democrats have taken the step of fighting for voting rights while Republicans still praise the most anti-democratic president of the United States who has spread lies to divide and actively disenfranchise voters nationwide.

Voter suppression targets minorities and those who have been disenfranchised since the founding of this country. Elected Republicans are scared of losing elections and are using racist tactics to disenfranchise voters. They are limiting vote by mail, limiting the number of days for early voting, aggressively gerrymandering minorities out of their districts, limiting hours on Election Day, and even making it illegal to pass out water and food to voters waiting in line.

These are the most anti-American and most unpatriotic acts I have ever witnessed as a citizen of this amazing country. What happened to the America that lifted up its neighbors and fellow citizens instead of tearing them down?

People walk across the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bride during the annual D.C. Peace Walk: Change Happens with Good Hope and a Dream on Dr. Martin Luther King Day on Monday in Washington, DC. Democrats are trying to pass John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act this week which will counter the various voting suppression laws passed in multiple Republican states in the wake of the 2020 elections.

We must stand up to these terrible acts of racism and bigotry. Advocate for those who have been pushed down day after day. Let’s come together as a country, state and city to support the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act on Capitol Hill and the VOTES Act on Beacon Hill. Contact your elected officials today and make your voice heard.

The future of this country and our democratic systems are relying on this moment.

Evan J. Francis

Taunton

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Opinion: Act now to preserve our voting rights, and democracy