FLORIDA: Doing a drilling program

In order to stop a bad thing from happening two things have to happen first. We have to recognize that the thing that is happening is bad, and then we have to act to stop it.

In Florida the Republican-controlled legislature and governor just got through sending out 180,000 letters to citizens that notify them in official-sounding language that it has been “discovered” that they are not eligible to vote. If recipients of this notification do not respond in a specific way within 30 days they are removed from the voter rolls. This is the dismantling of American Democracy.

These Republican politicians know, as every simple businessman knows, that a certain percentage of people who receive a mailing of any kind will fail to respond to it for a whole host of reasons, most of them having to do with either disinterest or preoccupation with other demands in their lives. People who are receiving this mailing in Florida are documented American citizens just like you and me. This mailing is a political tactic designed to end voting rights for particular citizens. It is a bad thing.

It reminds me of the old “Three Stooges” routine where our hapless chuckleheads have just escaped a sinking ship into a leaky lifeboat. As Moe and Larry are frantically bailing (with spoons and their bare hands), Curly rummages around and finds a “water- letter- outer.” Of course this is a hand drill and, while the other two are bailing at one end, Curly is merrily drilling holes in the bottom of the boat at the other end. When Moe realizes what’s going on he yells at Curly,

“What are YOU doing, moron?” And Curly, triumphant because he is convinced he has averted disaster, says, “I’m lettin’ the water outa the boat.”

The Republican Party all across this nation is drilling holes in American Democracy. We cannot let them sink it.

STEPHEN D. BRUNO

Hayden