There is a way to make what I wrote about yesterday real.
March for it.
The King family got us rolling with this. Yesterday’s March for Voting Rights needs to grow in intensity, from now through the November election, everywhere across the country. In blue states, purple states, in the very reddest states.
Marching on behalf of causes is a common political tactic. Its results are proven over time. The problem is that it’s often done haphazardly. It’s not done consistently, strategically, with a definite aim in mind.
This year, democracy is the aim. Marching is how you make it a cause and, ultimately, the wedge issue that destroys the fascist right. (If at this point you want to pretend the fascist streak in today’s Republican Party is just cosplaying, or politics as usual, here’s your hood.)
This can start slowly, with people who know how to do it. Black voters have been the targets of voter purges and, declined voting applications. They need to march, with their neighbors, to small county courthouses demanding answers and service. Prepare for the confrontation by bringing IDs. Have the victims walk in while their neighbors wait outside, prepared to cheer at every accepted voting application.
Party activists can help by researching each application, finding out what’s missing, and making certain it’s there. But they can’t lead the marches. These are community efforts.
Follow up marches on small courthouses with marches on bigger ones. Start getting into cities, where the big vote counts live. Make each march a festival, a parade, a celebration of democracy. Make it fun. Make it happen every week.
As summer comes on, you have big city marches on behalf of democracy, which can easily be turned into action on behalf of voting in the fall.
It’s important to make this appear non-partisan. You’re not telling anyone who to vote for. You’ll help correct anyone’s voting registration.
The Republican oligarchs will have two choices. Get coverage early and confrontations will get huge coverage. Or let the marches go on and the momentum build.
Democracy is the only issue on the ballot in 2022. Overcoming voter suppression needs to become a cause, not just an issue. If everyone votes, we can accept the results. But if democracy is the cause of the year, the results will be good for democrats and Democrats.
