From The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By Cynthia Tucker

In the 41 years since Congress passed the Voting Rights Act, this nation has undergone a dramatic political transformation. From California to New York, from Virginia to Florida, black men and women have won election to political offices, including prestigious statewide posts.

Given that progress, some politicians and social observers say, the Voting Rights Act has outlived its usefulness. It’s time to let it die, they say.

Many of their arguments are rational and persuasive. They point out that Democrats and Republicans have both misused the VRA to protect incumbents. Southern legislatures draw political boundaries that pack voters of color into awkwardly designed districts. Given the continuing tendency of voters to favor their own ethnic or racial group, that process usually ensures the election of a black candidate, almost always a Democrat. The same process leaves nearby districts overwhelmingly white, ensuring the election of a white Republican.

Others argue it’s unfair to pick on the Deep South because of discriminatory practices they say ended long ago. They are especially incensed by Section 5, which requires several Southern states to get permission from the Justice Department before they change any voting process.

Last week, two Republican congressmen from Georgia, Lynn Westmoreland and Charlie Norwood, used arguments about unfairness to persuade their GOP colleagues to put off a vote on extending the act; parts of it will expire next year without congressional action. “Singling out certain states for special scrutiny no longer makes sense,” Westmoreland said.

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