The Supreme Court is right now hearing arguments that sections of the Voting Rights Act signed by Lyndon Johnson are no longer applicable because the South has changed and no longer exhibits racial or discriminatory elements. This case was raised by a local government entity in Alabama.
A quick look around uncovers attempts at voter suppression and denial of unencumbered voting rights in several southern (and northern) states that are as recent as the last election. Follow this up with the news out of Mississippi; the exact circumstances is not verifiable but that allows you to form your own opinion. Here is the report from Slate:
Gay, Black Mayoral Candidate in Mississippi Found Dead, Homicide Suspected
Posted Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013, at 11:25 AMAn openly gay, African American mayoral candidate in Mississippi was found dead earlier this week, and police suspect homicide—although local police say that they have no reason to suspect his death was a hate crime.
Marco McMillian, 34, went missing Tuesday after his car was involved in a car wreck outside of Clarksdale, the town of about 18,000 where McMillan was running for mayor. McMillian, however, wasn’t driving his vehicle, and no one knew where he was until his body was found by authorities near a Mississippi River levee yesterday.
The Associated Press reports that police have a suspect in custody but aren’t releasing a name. Meanwhile, the Clarksdale Press-Register, citing “other avenues” of inquiry, is naming 22-year-old Lawrence Reed as the suspect. He’s identified by the paper’s sources as the man behind the wheel of McMillian’s car when it crashed.
The Coahoma County Sheriff’s office says that it has found nothing to suggest that the suspect was politically motivated, but they haven’t yet said anything about the motive or cause of death, according to Reuters.
McMillian’s supporters and the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund say that McMillian was probably one of the first viable LGBT candidates for mayor in the Magnolia State.
Coincidence? Do you think this will disturb Antonin Scalia? Do you imagine that he might change his racist view of civil rights?
A Celebration of Reading 