I thought it was a little odd that the Supreme Court would hand down two massively significant and contradictory civil rights decisions within hours of each other: The ruling illegally striking down key enforcement provisions of the Voting Rights Act that have been in effect since 1965, and the one striking down DOMA. One could be forgiven for thinking it was a deliberate attempt to distract and blunt the impact of the former, but it seems the corrupt major media is playing along rather brazenly with this bait-and-switch: Within hours of the DOMA story breaking, VRA-related articles practically disappeared from the top headlines of major media websites including CBS News, NBC News, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, Washington Post, and others, and today are buried beneath a flood of multiple top-headlining articles related to gay marriage.
Yes, the DOMA ruling is big news, but there is no conceivable argument that KKKourtgate is less of a story or that it's something of temporary or limited impact to only be mentioned in passing. It is a story of fundamental concern to the survival of the republic and the basic rights of tens of millions. The fact that it disappeared from view almost instantly the moment there was an excuse, without much in the way of attempt to expound on the story, while DOMA is being used as the basis for multiple ongoing top-page articles in every source makes clear that these organizations are actively avoiding VRA. It's as if China became a democracy the same day that a billion-casualty nuclear war occurred between India and Pakistan, and there were a dozen different top-page articles about China while at the bottom was some buried lede in the commentary section saying, "Good riddance to South Asia."
Here are the stats on major news websites as accessed at about 6:30 am Pacific time this morning - I counted every link related to each story, including repeated links that are posted under multiple categories:
CBS News:
Links to DOMA/Prop 8 content: 11
Links to content on Hernandez arrest (an athlete got arrested for murder - BFD): 4
Links to VRA content: 0 (Got that? EL ZILCHO)
NBC News:
Links to DOMA/Prop 8 content: 12
Links to content on Hernandez arrest: 10
Links to VRA content: 3 (only one mentions VRA by name in title - other two are general discussions of "changing demographics," and largely supportive of ruling)
New York Times:
Links to DOMA/Prop 8 content: 15
Links to content on Hernandez arrest: 0
Links to VRA content: 2
Washington Post:
Links to DOMA/Prop 8 content: 15
Links to content on Hernandez arrest: 0
Links to VRA content: 4 (1 overtly in favor of ruling)
CNN:
Links to DOMA/Prop 8 content: 14
Links to content on Hernandez arrest: 9
Links to VRA content: 0
Los Angeles Times:
Links to DOMA/Prop 8 content: 27
Links to content on Hernandez arrest: 2
Links to VRA content: 0
Trying to find mentions of VRA on these websites right now is like playing Where's Waldo, and even the buried articles that are there clearly won't be for long. This fits in well with the history of SCOTUS coups, and is similar to the collective yawns that followed Citizens United among the media. The only difference is that this is not some abstruse legal doctrine: This concerns the fundamental right of the 28% of Americans (roughly 85 million people) who aren't white to have an equal voice in choosing their government. To bury this story is highly conspicuous and outrageous.
In any event, there is a tiny, infinitesimal little glimmer of hope, although it's only coming from ordinary people like us standing up against the ruling and the lawless court majority responsible for it: The Change.org petition asking the President and Congress to condemn the VRA decision and seek the impeachment of the Justices responsible for abuse of power is ever so slowly gaining signatures, and now stands at 60. Here are some of the comments by signatories - just ordinary people like you or me who are taking a stand against rogue Justices who have declared war on American democracy:
Hollis Wood SANTA FE, NM
This is the most partisan corrupt Supreme Court ever. They are so secure in their agenda that they don't even bother trying to hide their motives. I thought Alito's contemptuous treatment of Justice Ginsberg was the last straw until their takedown of Voting Rights. These people have got to be impeached!
Mark Dombroski CHARLOTTE, NC
Judges need to follow the law, not make up their own rules.
Polly Reed MANHEIM, PA
This Supreme Court and in particular the 5 justices who made this ruling on the VRA , are in process of destroying this country.
Timothy Nelson SAN BERNARDINO, CA
Why is this important to me? Simple. I'm black, I'm a voter and I won't sit idle as our highest lawmaking body DESTROYS the protected right to vote of ALL US citizens.
Be a part of the solution and join the effort to demand a law-abiding Supreme Court today. You have nothing to lose but a guaranteed future of escalating partisan attacks on the Constitution from the bench. Sign the petition and spread the word.