It was very disappointing to hear Justice Scalia refer to the Voting Rights Act as "a racial entitlement". The idea that a Supreme Court justice could be so cavalier about assuring that every American citizen has the right to vote is appalling. Many people put their lives on the line fighting for equal rights (and too many died), and one of the most important of those rights was the right to vote.Justice Scalia and his fellow right-wing extremists may think we now live in a post-racial period in this country, but if they do then they are ignoring the reality in this country. Racism is still very much alive in the United States, and that has become very obvious since the election of President Obama. That political event seems to have made the racists more bold, and they no longer try to hide their sickness (in fact, they seem proud of it).
No Democracy can exist without citizens having the right to vote, and a true democracy cannot exist unless that right to vote (and be represented in government) is extended to all citizens. We have a political party that intentionally tried to subvert the vote of minorities in the last election. That alone is proof that we still need the Voting Rights Act -- regardless of what Justice Scalia or any other racist may think.
