Will Alabama Uphold Segregation?

T

Timshel

New member
Republicans there won't even do it honestly, coupling it with language designed to undermine public education.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/ala-faces-2nd-vote-in-years-on-stripping-segregation-poll-tax-references-from-constitution/2012/10/27/9e677d76-203e-11e2-8817-41b9a7aaabc7_story.html

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Segregation ended decades ago in Alabama, swept away by the civil rights marchers who faced down police dogs and fire hoses in the early ‘60s. But segregation is still mandated by the state’s constitution, and voters on Nov. 6 will get only their second chance in years to eliminate an anachronism that still exists on paper.

Election Day in this Deep South state could be the day Alabama amends history.

Amendment 4 — the proposal to delete the constitution’s archaic language affirming segregation — is tucked amid routine issues of sewers, bonds and city boundaries on a crowded Election Day ballot. It’s a striking call to see if Alabama will repeat what it did in 2004, when the state narrowly voted to keep the outdated and racially controversial language, bringing national ridicule upon the state.
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Alabamians haven’t been reluctant to amend the 111-year-old constitution in the past. In fact, they’ve approved more than 800 amendments in their history, making theirs the nation’s longest state constitution. It is now four times longer than the average constitution and, come Nov. 6, could get 30 more amendments added to its heft.

But making changes involving segregationist language often is vexingly difficult. The U.S. Supreme Court declared anti-miscegenation laws unconstitutional in 1967, for instance. But it wasn’t until 2000 that Alabama voters removed the state constitution’s ban on interracial marriage. Even then, 40 percent voted to keep the ban.
 
Dishonest democrats in Alabama continue to try and pass tax increases by attaching them to this proposal, then when they fail to pass, claiming people were "racists" because they didn't support it. The language is meaningless, as you point out, the SCOTUS has ruled segregation unconstitutional. There are also many in Alabama who are advocating a constitutional convention, so we can completely re-write our "world's longest" constitution. Adding another 30 amendments to it, seems a bit counterproductive to that idea.

We're simply not going to be bullied and intimidated into passing tax increases, under the guise of "combating segregation" because it is a silly nonsensical argument. If Democrats want to submit a clean referendum to remove the language, fine... do that, and we'll vote to eliminate it. But stop trying to pass a tax increase by attaching it to this and trying to make it about racism. It's NOT going to fly!
 
Dixie said:
Dishonest democrats in Alabama continue to try and pass tax increases by attaching them to this proposal, then when they fail to pass, claiming people were "racists" because they didn't support it. The language is meaningless, as you point out, the SCOTUS has ruled segregation unconstitutional. There are also many in Alabama who are advocating a constitutional convention, so we can completely re-write our "world's longest" constitution. Adding another 30 amendments to it, seems a bit counterproductive to that idea.

We're simply not going to be bullied and intimidated into passing tax increases, under the guise of "combating segregation" because it is a silly nonsensical argument. If Democrats want to submit a clean referendum to remove the language, fine... do that, and we'll vote to eliminate it. But stop trying to pass a tax increase by attaching it to this and trying to make it about racism. It's NOT going to fly!
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That's not true. It is Republican who are trying to attach language to the referendum. From the article...

Alabama’s constitution once provided for “a liberal system of public schools throughout the state for the benefit of the children.” But attitudes changed after the U.S. Supreme Court banned school segregation in 1954. Angry Alabama citizens voted in 1956 to amend the constitution to say there is no right to a public education at taxpayers’ expense and that “students shall attend schools provided for their own race.” Both changes were meant to thwart integration.

...
 
Stringy, I live here, I know what is going on. The Alabama state legislature is predominately Democrat, they have tried to do this before, as you mentioned. Yes, what you posted is what the Constitution does say, but the language is outdated since segregation is unconstitutional. They want to pass a tax increase, and they have tried to attach this to a proposition calling for the removal of this language... it hasn't worked, the people see through it. We're fucking NOT going to pass a tax increase so that antiquated and outdated irrelevant language can be removed from a Constitution that needs to be entirely rewritten anyway... just not going to happen, dude!

Now you can call us "racists" and claim we want to "keep segregation" and make any other wild outlandish claims you please, we're STILL NOT GOING TO PASS A TAX INCREASE! SORRY!
 
Reading further on this, I have discovered this version is a revamp of the 2004 version without the tax increase language, and THAT is why Democrats now oppose the very same proposition they supported in 2004. It's a matter of "turn about is fair play." In 2004, the added provision was to declare that public education was a right, thereby paving the way for a massive school tax increase... that was why it was strongly opposed and rejected. So now, they have taken that provision and reversed it, and the same people who supported it in 2004, are now opposed to it. This PROVES the proposition has nothing to do with removing the offensive language, and everything to do with installing language which will enable a massive school tax. The voters will decide.
 
The state wouldn't be in this mess if it didn't have such a shitty history. Now its contemporary retards/citizens have to pay the price of its past retards.
 
Like Like said:
The state wouldn't be in this mess if it didn't have such a shitty history. Now its contemporary retards/citizens have to pay the price of its past retards.
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Well there is nothing anyone can do about their history. Sorry, we're not going to crawl in a hole and die because of our past. Wish we could make that happen for ya, but it's not gonna. So what we can do, is move forward and stop looking back at the past, and realize the mistakes we made, with the resolve to not make the same mistakes again. No one has to "pay the price" for past mistakes. The fact that you seem to think that is the case, reveals a level of bigoted hatred in your own heart, and that's something I can't ever fix, so I won't worry about it much.

As much as I am tempted to support the proposition this time, I still can't support it on principle. I want the State of Alabama to hold a constitutional convention and rewrite the whole damn thing, and adding 30 more amendments is not the direction I want to take at this time. As I said, if they want to give me a proposition to simply remove the offensive language and nothing more, I'll support that, as will about 90% of the state, but that hasn't been proposed.
 
Well, you could pass an amendment declaring your state's history null and void, that you are starting over from scratch, changing your name to Lincoln, and condemning Mississippi's horrendous state flag...
 
Like Like said:
Well, you could pass an amendment declaring your state's history null and void, that you are starting over from scratch, changing your name to Lincoln, and condemning Mississippi's horrendous state flag...
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Well okay, when all the other states pass similar amendments declaring their state histories null and void, perhaps we'll talk. Our state name is a Native American name, you can take that up with them, but I think they trump any right you have to change anything here. As for Mississippi, we can't do anything about their flag, that's up to them.

But we all know that what you're saying here is stupid and superficial, and shows just how fucking retarded you really are. I can't believe I wasted 3 minutes responding to you. I guess I must've been really bored.
 
Dixie said:
Well there is nothing anyone can do about their history. Sorry, we're not going to crawl in a hole and die because of our past. Wish we could make that happen for ya, but it's not gonna.
QUOTE]

Well, ye can't win em all, I guess. But the hole awaits if you ever change your minds.
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Lowaicue said:
Dixie said:
Well there is nothing anyone can do about their history. Sorry, we're not going to crawl in a hole and die because of our past. Wish we could make that happen for ya, but it's not gonna.
QUOTE]

Well, ye can't win em all, I guess. But the hole awaits if you ever change your minds.
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I got a better idea, why don't we round up people like you and ThreeDee, who can't seem to let go of our past and move on, and force you to undergo mandatory reprogramming, erasing that portion of your memory banks? If you don't elect to do this, we can put you in the hole. I think my plan would be much easier to implement, so we'll go with it instead.
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