What’s Done In The Dark
No Me Digas. Op-Ed: Keith Price
A couple of weeks ago, I dropped an old school, mostly southern, black mama saying that might save your life, HARD EARS MAKE A SOFT BEHIND. Some people called me folksy and old school, but watching Gov. Brian Kemp sign into law, the most Draconian, Jim Crow 2.0, voter restriction bill EVER, set off a firestorm within me. Like many a Rachel Maddow enthusiast, my mouth dropped open after she detailed what was current about this situation. To quote one of my favorite comics, Amanda Seales, it’s the ‘CAUCASITY’ of it all.
As Zen White Americans, Gentrifying Ginnys, Latte Liberals, and “see no color” white folks are still trying to understand their past, their evil racist kinfolks are not only trying to legislate voter suppression against BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color) , but also against their libtard family, too. After watching a closed-door bill signing beneath a picture of a plantation, my mama whispered another pearl in my ear, “what’s done in the dark will come to light.”
The images of white supremacists that always come to my mind are those unhinged, hirsute folks sequestered in the wilds of Northern Michigan or the mountains of Georgia, wearing hoods, shooting guns, and burning crosses. Do not be fooled. They are in every major city, hiding behind their unassuming veneer of careers like law enforcement, education, medicine, AND most definitely politics. The veneer has finally cracked open, and now we see the crookedness that has been behind there all along, waiting to spread its ugliness like those monsters in the ALIEN series. It’s like the film, THEY LIVE, when everyone finally can see the aliens who are keeping them controlled. I’ve got more, but I digress.
Let’s just be honest about what we are seeing in front of our very eyes. Like the evil hands reaching up and pulling Amy Irving into the grave in CARRIE (I told you that I have more), the Georgia legislature has tipped the first domino of over 240 new pieces of voter suppression legislation in 43 states, in an attempt to pull modern America back into the land of cotton. How else can you even explain what either overtly or “covertly” is being said in that image?
After fraudulently trying to steal votes and continue his reign of terror, Trump was seemingly put in his place by the Attorney General and Governor of Georgia, both looking like Republican champions for Democracy in the face of potential tyranny. They said that they did not have the authority to do any such thing. In actuality, what they meant to say was, “we did not have the authority for any such thing, YET. Let me see what needs to be done, and secretly pass it through the legislature quickly, with the loudest, yet subtle shout out to white supremacists everywhere when I sign it into law. I will also let them drag one of our elected black senators for emphasis.” That is exactly what he’s done. It is not lost on me that they are trying to set themselves up to maintain power always. What in the holy f**k is happening, Batman?
We cannot stay paralyzed by this brazen attempt to watch voters be undermined. Waiting on the “will of the people” was an excuse invoked by Mitch McConnell to block Merrick Garland’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing nine months before an election. However, he could not wait on the “will of the people” to quickly confirm Justice Comey Barrett 3 weeks before an election, thereby proving on the national level, the “will of the people” means shit. Gov. Kemp and his cronies have essentially legislated to show that the “will of the people” on the state and local level mean shit, too.
This country is like a runaway train on another clear collision course with its racist history. The lack of acknowledgment of America’s evil past and the denial of the SYSTEMIC historical ramifications that they have had on this country are really at the core of the problem.
But like every good member of any 12-Step program will tell you, one must acknowledge that there really is a serious problem. Own that you are powerless over its pull, and seek a higher power. Follow a plan. This is all in the name of delivering yourself to an understanding of how to live among others without the pull of that addiction. Like alcoholism, racism is an addictive and destructive disease that even after all of these years is still eating us alive as a nation.
I am not sure if there is a truly effective 12 Step program for racism. Although Central Park Karen, aka Amy Cooper, recently completed something similar in only 5 steps. Somehow, I am not sure it will be effective, and when the dominoes fall from state to state with this voter suppression nonsense, it will look like one of those complicated, intricate patterns in a Vegas showroom, displaying a giant middle finger to Democracy. Please know beyond voter suppression that Civil, Abortion, and LGBTQ+ rights are soon to be hitting the republican controlled BBQ pits of many more states. How are we going to stop this?
As far as the supporters of legislative voter suppression vs. “Change to a more F**king INCLUSIVE platform”, Republicans are attempting to create laws to disenfranchise millions of people instead of working on their image. Americans were given 2 platforms from which to choose in the 2020 elections. More than 80 million people decided they liked one message over the other. They liked it so much in Georgia, that voters endured all kinds of weather and almost every man-made roadblock put in front of them to exercise their rights not only in a general election but in a historic runoff election, as well. People exercising their constitutional right to vote scared the crap out of the establishment of Georgia. Stacy Abrams along with every grassroots organization made sure that people got their asses to the ballot boxes, and baby, stuff changed.
Mail-in balloting, drop-off ballot boxes, etc., were originally designed to help the more privileged folks of Georgia be able to vote. Because the less privileged “people” got to actually use them, (also known as equality) conservative/racist Georgians and similar folks in many other places around the country found out that they can lose elections when everyone participates. Go Figure. It explains why the concept of general equality is so frightening to those in power because it means that they have to share the power if they want to have any at all.
So like spoiled children being told “NO”, they are trying to make sure that they win at all costs, instead of just changing their message and behavior. Here’s a tip for the Republicans who are so mad at the BIPOC who showed up to the polls and voted against them: Be nice to BIPOC instead of trying to destroy them and taking away their rights, then they might vote for you.
Like another delusional republican, Gov. Kemp is not afraid to double down. He signed that horrific bill into law behind a closed door, while the funding of his power grab is still in the dark. According to other Georgia lawmakers, there is a Fiscal Note that must be filed with any legislation signed into law that will have a fiscal impact on the state. Georgia’s Republican voters will soon be very surprised to whom and to where the money is going. It will explain why they were practically signing this bill in the dark, but what’s done in the dark, will most certainly come to light. I just hope it is not too late.
Get that Vaccine. Double mask. Stay Distanced for now.
