Democracy

Democracy

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(A Patriotic Hymn for Republicans)

Despite the fact that incidents of in-person voter fraud in
the United States are exceedingly rare, the GOP has used
the issue to tighten election laws around the country.
                                                            —News reports


American children are all taught in school
That voting’s democracy’s most vital tool.
But in the wrong hands all that voting can bring
A little too much of a very good thing.
Yes, too many voters of darker complexion
Can cause the wrong person to win an election.
And college kids mostly are just in a phase
That makes them left wing and supportive of gays.
To us, each of them is a dangerous blighter
Whose voting should wait till he’s older and whiter.
So we put in laws we have reason to think
Will mean that the strength of these voters will shrink.
We shorten the hours, and ask for a lot
Of picture IDs—more than anyone’s got.
Their votes aren’t the votes that the framers intended.
We only regret that the poll tax has ended.
The voting we need in this land of the free
Is voting by people with whom we agree.

Become a Sustaining Donor This September

Between the reemergence of right-wing red-baiting and Donald Trump’s use of the chilling National Security Presidential Memorandum–7 to criminalize left political organizing, we’re seeing McCarthyism reborn before our eyes.

This assault on democracy cannot be ignored or wished away. Resisting it requires bravery in the face of threats and repression, a steadfast commitment to the truth, and the unwavering belief that we can—and will—overcome this darkness.

We must have an independent media that sets the record straight, unearths corruption and abuses of power, and advances a politics of justice and dignity for all if we’re to win this fight.

That’s why I’m writing to you today. This September, The Nation needs to add 100 monthly donors to sustain our progressive journalism. Your contribution makes the next investigative report, the next truth-speaking column, and the next pathbreaking essay all possible. 

I hope you’ll support our work with a recurring donation today. If you donate $10 or more a month, we’ll send you a brand new “Hands Off the Free Press!” sticker to recognise your commitment to our cause. Please, donate today. 

Onward,

Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editor and Publisher, The Nation

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