Heist of the crown jewel?

Editor, Gettysburg Times,

Much has been covered in the local and national news media about legislation regulating future elections. On Friday, April 2, the non-partisan Brennen Center for Justice, listed 47 states that had introduced 361 new laws that the center interpreted as being restrictive to voters. Not all of these bills will be enacted, but many will become law in various states as has happened in Georgia. I wonder if it will restrict the constitutional voting rights of citizens of those states. I then wondered what one of our most popular presidents of the past, Ronald Reagan, would have to say about these new laws. Here are a couple of quotes from his speeches.

“For this nation to remain true to its principles, we cannot allow any American’s vote to be denied, diluted or defiled. The right to vote is the crown jewel of American liberties, and we will not see its luster diminished. To protect all our citizens, I believe the Voting Rights Act should and must be extended.” (November 7, 1981)

“My belief has always been…that wherever in this land any individuals’ constitutional rights are being unjustly denied it is the obligation of the federal Government – at point of bayonet if necessary — to restore that individuals constitutional rights.” (May 1983)

I also recall him commenting that we should be making it easier not harder for our citizens to vote. Under current legislation proposed by so many states, our Crown Jewel is about to be stolen from us.

When Ken Burns was here at the Remembrance Day celebration in November 2008, he mentioned that early in our country’s history only white males who owned property could vote. He went on to relate how black men were finally allowed to vote and eventually women. Those participants were allowed to vote because of Constitutional amendments 15 (1870) and 19 (1920). In spite of these amendments, various states passed laws restricting the right to vote necessitating the Voting Rights Act legislation signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964. I believe that our country, with so many restrictive laws being purposed by various states, is at a serious juncture calling for national legislation to provide a foundational guideline for all states that will insure the equal constitutional rights of all U. S. citizens. I encourage our Pennsylvania U. S. Senators and Representatives to support this legislation. This would give me confidence that our elections will continue to be fair and free of major fraud. After all we must protect our crown jewel!

Lynn Cairns,

Cumberland Township