The wisdom of our founding fathers has been challenged by all three branches of government for decades. The executive branch often seeks greater powers than granted by the Constitution. In the legislative branch, Republican controlled congresses have ignored their purpose and chosen to serve special interests and discount the needs and wishes of the American people. The Supreme Court, the judicial branch, has one responsibility; to determine if our nation’s laws conform to the Constitution. Modern day Justices display bias along party lines and frequently deny the meaning of the Law of the Land.

In 2013 the Court destroyed the ‘Voting Rights Act,’ opening an opportunity for “red states” to suppress the voting rights of minorities. Justice Antonin Scalia cautioned, “Whenever a society adopts racial entitlements, it is very difficult to get them out through the normal political processes.”

Scalia passed away in 2016, but his extreme right-wing views live on thanks to Moscow Mitch and the orange man who have ‘stacked the Court.’

The most egregious example of voter suppression is the Electoral College. The reasons for creating a system which voids the votes of millions of Americans every four years are numerous. At the core of these considerations were racism and slavery.

Minorities were not recognized as members of the voting public. Less populated states in the South demanded a system which would increase their strength and power in presidential elections. Today the Electoral College serves a single purpose; to nullify the votes of tens of millions of Americans.

Republicans are desperate to retain the status quo. Fact: if the Electoral College did not exist, a Democrat would have lived in the White House since 1993. There would have been no Republican presidents for the last 26 years. During those years only one Republican won the popular vote; George W. Bush in 2004. He would never have been eligible for a second term if the winner of the popular vote in 2000, Al Gore, had become the president.

Let’s use my state of Nevada as a perfect example. Although we have only five Electoral College Votes, this example applies to more populated states including California, Florida, Michigan, and others.

In 2000 I voted for Al Gore. My vote was literally placed in the trash. If you voted for Trump in 2016, your vote was ignored. Our state’s Electoral votes went to Hillary Clinton. In both examples thousands of voters had no influence in the outcome of the election. This is unconstitutional and unfair; it is not American.

The Framers of the Constitution considered the first amendment the most important words ever formed into sentences. It guarantees our most cherished rights, most notably our right to vote.

I believe that the selection of our president is the most important example of democracy in the world. Therefore, every vote should count. This nation belongs to the people; not to political parties or to leaders of individual states. We, the people should decide who leads our nation.

I say to our legislators; “do the right thing and abolish the Electoral College.”

Op-ed by James Turnage

SOURCE

Photo courtesy of Phil Roeder

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