The original Jim Crow laws, which ended in the 1950s, were racially motivated laws that were put in palace (mainly by the south) to further racial segregation. These laws were repealed in the 1950s thanks to Civil Rights Activists like Martin Luther King Jr. Since then, there has been little to no racial segregation in the lives of many Americans.
Everyday, Americans, whether white, black, hispanic, etc. live their lives without the problems or fear of racial segregation. Yet, many claim that everything in America is institutionally racist and segregated. Of course, any rational person can see that that is not true. While it is illegal for private businesses to discriminate while hiring based on race, ethnicity, gender, etc., it is not necessarily illegal for states to do that with voting. Some might bring up the 15th amendment, which says, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” Of course any state who disobeyed this (race, color, gender, etc.) would be brought to justice and stopped. However, the states have the freedom to add restrictions for voting. In Georgia, there is an “exact-match” voting registration law, which states that a state drivers license or ID has to exactly match the voting registration. People have brought up legal charges claiming that this is a racist law and that it targets minorities.
The goal behind most voting laws is to protect against fraudulent voters, repeat voters, dead voters, repeat voters, or anything that goes against the “democracy” aspect of voting. People on both sides of the political aisle claim that opposing or supporting these laws have some sort of political agenda to it. Those on the left oppose Voter ID laws because “those on the right want to stop those who will vote democrat and use it for political gain.” Those on the right say that the “democrats oppose voter ID laws because those laws will cut down on illegal voting, which primarily leans democrat. The reality of it is, that there is illegal voting going on in America, and it is a big problem and threat to our “democracy.” Voter ID laws will cut down on illegal voting, which should make everyone happy, except the political power hungry people. At the root of all lawmaking decisions, lies a core reasoning behind it.
On one hand, voting laws are used to target minorities and racially segregate for political power; on another, voting laws are relaxed to welcome in illegal voting for political power and gain, and on another, voting laws are necessary to have a fair and just democracy. Jim Crow Laws, especially with voting, are hard to pass and keep, because there is always someone watching to make sure that racial segregation doesn’t become blatantly legal again, like in the 1900s. Our country has moved away from racial segregation and Jim Crow laws, but people will always find a way to make something an issue of race. Don’t think that there aren’t any more racist people, because there are, and they exist, but there are more non-racists people who are willing to stand up to them, and that is why Jim Crow 2.0 laws will never become common, or passed.
