New York Times (Indirectly) Blasts Garrett

tomjoad19 — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:58:43 +0000

In their main editorial last Sunday the New York Times called for the The Supreme Court to “Uphold the Voting Rights Act”, the same Voting Rights Act that Congressman Garrett voted against reauthorizing in 2006. While Garrett thinks it unnecessary to protect the voting rights of minorities, the Times begs to differ:

“Discrimination against minority voters may not be as blatant as it was then, but it still exists. District lines are drawn to prevent minorities from winning; polling places are located in places hard for minority voters to get to: voter ID requirements are imposed with the purpose of suppressing minority vote.”

The editorial also mentions the massive majority that voted to reauthorize the Act in 2006: 98 to 0 in the Senate and 390 to 33 in the House. Let’s do the math: There are 435 Congressmen. Out of those 435, 33 opposed the Voting Rights Act. Scott Garrett was one of those 33.

I previously blogged about Garrett’s outrageous opposition to the Voting Rights Act. While many of Garrett’s votes have no effect on blocking or passing legislation, it is still crucial to shine a light on his preposterous belief system. Let’s hope by November 2010 it will be unneccessary to continue that.

Time for a Congressman Garrett Flashback!

tomjoad19 — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 04:12:09 +0000

In the inaugural edition of “The Scott Garret Vote Flashback” we turn the clock back to 2006 when Congressman Garrett voted against reauthorizing the epochal Voting Rights Act of 1965. That’s right folks, Congressman Garrett voted against outlawing the racist voting practices responsible for the disenfranchisement of African Americans. He was the only Congressman North of the Mason-Dixon Line to vote Nay on the Act’s passage.

Let me repeat: In the year 2006, Congressman Scott Garrett, Representative of the 5th District of New Jersey, supported people who sought, “to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.” Garrett opposed the same Voting Rights Act that was passed after the legendary Selma to Montgomery marches in 1964 and 65 – the marches in which police used attack dogs and fire hoses to restrain participants.

Of course the Voting Rights Act was originally authorized in 1965 when overt racism and forced disenfranchisement were significantly more common than they are today. Regardless, voting against the Act’s reauthorization showed a blatant lack of awareness of racial discrimination in America. Furthermore, it proved that Garrett either does not respect the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950′s and 60′s or that he does not understand those achievements – either way he should be run out of Congress on a rail immediately. Please help us do just that by contributing your opinions in the comments section below each post, telling your friends, family, and other acquaintances about “Take Back the Fifth,” and spreading the word about Scott Garrett’s horrific voting record. With your help this blog will become obsolete in November 2010!

-Michael Simonson

Retire Garrett » Voting Rights Act

New York Times (Indirectly) Blasts Garrett

Time for a Congressman Garrett Flashback!