Rapid response in action! Within minutes of this morning’s Supreme Court decision striking down parts of the Voting Rights Act, while most analysts were still parsing it, this email landed in my inbox via the Democratic National Committee list:
Subject: Beatings, fire hoses, and dogs
From: Donna BrazileColin —
The Voting Rights Act, first signed into law in 1965, was a keystone victory of the civil rights movement. American citizens withstood beatings, fire hoses, and dogs to see the law passed. Some even gave their lives.
And for decades since, the law has protected the right to vote for millions of America’s citizens — regardless of faith, color or creed.
Today’s ruling by the Supreme Court striking down parts of this important law is more than a disappointment — it’s an injustice. But we can’t let it discourage us or force us out of this fight.
There is so much more work we can do to ensure everyone has the right — and the ability — to vote. That’s the work Democrats are doing every day.
In the last few years, Republicans have dramatically stepped up their efforts to limit voting access. They’ve tried passing restrictive voter ID laws, cutting back early-voting hours, and eliminating same-day voter registration. The list goes on……
Of course, the only way you can get an email out THIS fast is if it’s prepared in advance….and one advantage of responding to a Supreme Court decision is that you have plenty of time to get your ducks in a row beforehand. Also note the lack of a fundraising ask — this message is pure mobilization, as is the stripped-down landing page the link goes to. Though of course, you’re hit with a fundraising ask on the petition thank-you page after you sign…and probably a few more donation messages down the road as well. Good work, though — this is striking while the proverbial iron is just coming out of the fire.
– cpd