I am a veterinarian in Hixson. We need national standards that allow for safety and freedom casting our ballots.
I seek an impartial system where every vote counts. We must call for fair elections so that our elected constituents can deliver for us.
Please fix the Jim Crow filibuster.
Jessica Claudio
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Jessica Claudio makes some interesting points in her tirade against the, "Jim Crow," filibuster. The problem is she is 57 years too late. The only Jim Crow filibuster I am aware of was the one Southern Democrats used in the summer of 1964 against the Civil Rights Act. The Democrat Senate Majority leader Richard Russell from Georgia actually introduced a law on the floor of the Senate that would export black Americans from the south to the north to reach an approximate even proportion of blacks and whites in every state. His reward for this was to be honored by Democrats with a Senate office building in DC and a federal office building in downtown Atlanta named for him.
The filibuster has been utilized by both parties forever. It depends on whose goose is being cooked where both parties stand on the issue. Here is a quote from Chuck Schumer on the issue.
"We are on the precipice of a crisis. A constitutional crisis. The checks and balances which have been at the core of this republic are about to be evaporated by the nuclear option," Schumer said, referencing an option to eliminate the filibuster, during a 2005 speech. "The checks and balances which say that if you get 51 percent of the vote, you don’t get your way 100 percent of the time."
Perhaps they should teach more history and political science in Vet school.
Douglas Jones
Ooltewah
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Last year Democrats used the “Jim Crow” filibuster for a total of 327 times while Republicans used the filibuster only once (Boston Herald, June 9, 2021). Senator Chuck Schumer defended using the “Jim Crow” filibuster to stop Trump’s agenda but says it’s different now that they are in charge (The Hill, Alexander Bolton, March 25, 2021).
Over the 36 years Joe Biden was in the senate, he argued to keep the filibuster and a video of his speeches appears online (Washington Post, J M Rieger, April 2, 2021). In past years other Democrats have argued to keep it. Barrack Obama said, “ending the senate filibuster is putting an end to democratic debate” (Newsweek, Ewan Palmer, Mar 26, 2021). Now they all want it gone. Why now?
Democrats want no debate on their legislation that will change the way Americans vote. Remember Schumer’s words, “it’s different now that they are in charge.” They will say or do anything to “fix the system.” Their scheme would fix the system all right, in their favor, otherwise why would they work so fiercely to crush dissent?
Ralph Miller
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I would like to remind any and all Americans that just because “a standard” is nationally mandated does not improve it. Our states get things right more frequently than does our federal government. Currently, we have an impartial system of voting. That does not guarantee that all people are honest. However, it is my belief that the great state of Tennessee does a very good job handling elections. We usually know the outcome of our elections within about four hours of the polls closing.
In fact, just this past year the Tennessee Legislature passed a bill that requires the addition of a watermark on all our absentee ballots, a deterrent measure to prevent cheating. This bill passed the Senate in a 27-0 vote. I am so proud of this state, and I love it. If I thought there was a better state I would have moved there.
I never fail to vote. The precinct in which I vote is run by my neighbors. When I enter the fire hall to vote I notice that everyone is quietly laughing and chatting with each other. Each poll worker has a job to do, and they do it without ever touching a voter’s ballot once it has been marked. I don’t know which ones are Democrats and which ones are Republicans. I’ve never heard an argument or a cross word. One can’t improve on something that isn’t broken.
I can only wonder if Jessica Claudio has ever voted in Hixson. I have voted at different precincts in Hixson and never experienced a problem. Yes, we should all call for fair elections, and thanks to all our hard-working volunteers who provide this for us. Thanks also to all those who work at the county election commission. I know there are problems there from time to time, but all in all they do a good job.
Sue Thompson