Speaking up about voting rights

I occasionally get angry enough to call my Texas Senators. The most recent occasion concerned voting rights legislation. I know, what’s the use, right? Nevertheless, I think it’s important to let both John Cornyn and Ted Cruz know they are on the wrong side of democracy, regardless of claims of state’s rights. I mean, in the United States did we ever believe we would have to call our senators and beg for democracy?

Yesterday, I did just that. I called both of their offices and got two different responses. In Senator Cornyn’s office, after calling back three times because I didn’t want to leave a recorded message, I finally got a staffer on the line. She was very nice and polite while I railed against Cornyn’s stand against democracy. She promised she would deliver my message to the Senator. I felt so much better. I had already sent a written message to Senator Cornyn. As he has so often in the past, the Senator responded in great detail with the reasons I am wrong. I got a very complex reply that took a Ph.D to decipher, literally. After Senator Cornyn pointed out how I had overlooked good reasons not to want my vote protected, it took my personal philosopher/husband an afternoon to figure out what in the world Cornyn was talking about. It turned out he was talking about the need for pre-crime legislation in Texas in case someone was thinking about possibly voting fraudulently and how to keep Texas from being held accountable in the courts when they suppress the vote..things that the John Lewis Voting Rights bill would have addressed. I replied with my objections to his objections, but I know it is asking a bit much to engage our Senator in a debate when he is so busy mansplaining our democracy away.

Then I called Senator Cruz. He has a very welcoming recorded message saying take a number or in his words, “leave a message,” at which point I was promptly told by his phone service that the mail box was full. This happens every time I want to share my thoughts with Senator Cruz. I would almost say that Senator Cruz really is not interested in my thoughts on his stand against democracy or anything else for that matter. So, I am not talking to Senator Cruz. But if I were talking to him, this is what I would be saying: Be a leader. Stop brown-nosing bullies and stand up for democracy in Texas and elsewhere. Stop running from the people. One day soon they will catch up to you, so you might as well face the music. Be a man like Senator Cornyn...at least pretend to listen to your constituents.

Jeri Ross,

Public School Teacher