FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Multicultural Religious Alliance Joins Civil Rights Leaders and Elected Officials to Demonstrate Opposition to Proposed Voter Suppression Legislation
Statement by Travis County Commissioner Jeffrey W. Travillion, Sr., Precinct 1
“I grew up in the South. I have lived within a system that was designed to be separate and unequal. This was the custom and defined the rules of engagement. If anyone violated these rules, they were subjected to physical violence or severe ostracism. These were the ironclad rules for generations and even a Voting Rights Act could not guarantee that fair voting rules would be followed. We must soberly evaluate all proposals which will impact any citizen’s right to participate in the democratic voting process. For too long, this Republican-controlled Texas Legislature has attempted and successfully restricted the voting rights of minority communities.
“Legislative proposals being championed by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) will restrict the legitimate access to voter accommodations, such as mail-in ballots. ALEC provides a forum for the Republican-controlled Legislature and private sector members to collaborate on model bills ranging from reducing regulation and corporate taxation, tightening voter identification rules, weakening labor unions, opposing gun control, etc. These are civil rights issues that affect the daily lives of minority communities. We must look at all the proposals in their historical context.
“When I was born in 1962, my father had earned a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and had honorably served our country in the Army. He was willing to give his life for his country, but could not vote for City Council members, County Commissioners, or any elected officials. My mother had also graduated with a bachelor’s degree, was a certified teacher, and was not afforded the right to vote. These citizenship rights were denied to them by the politically powerful and we are seeing this happen again and again with the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature. These decisions were not made based on the constitutional principle that all men were created equal and endowed with certain unalienable rights. If America is to be a great nation, we must allow constitutional principles to guide all citizens, not only the privileged and the powerful.
“It was and has been a southern custom to exclude African Americans and other minorities from the ballot, so their interests would not be represented in the public forum. Many members of the community are using their rights as citizens to make change. When that change is not supported by the powerful, steps are taken to limit voter participation. We have not eliminated the structural disparities that were presented prior to the Voting Rights Act and continue today. If we want our State and our Country to represent the real notion of democracy, then we must follow the principle of one person, one vote. We can’t support undemocratic principles at home while demanding fairness and democracy around the world. I join the Religious Alliance and Civil Rights Leaders today in asking that we look at what is happening around us and choose the principles of fairness, not power over principle.”
