Michael N. Searles

WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE

 

 

In his second inaugural address on March 3, 1865, just 41 days before his assassination, Abraham Lincoln said these words: “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive to finish the work we are in….” This speech was delivered to bind up the nation’s wounds after a bloody Civil War. However, the first words in this section of his address still rings with a certain clarity, “With malice toward none, with charity for all.” These words resonate because of their genuineness and generosity. During a time when those qualities are in short supply, it is good to look back and savor that which is genuine and fair.

We are engaged in a battle as to who determines fairness in our electoral system. The battle currently is not being waged with guns but with the advice and consent of lawmakers.

The battle is thought to be one where one political party seeks to put another political party at a disadvantage. The tactics are as old as America itself. In years past, polling places were changed a day before an election, hostile forces patrolled the road to voting places, and threats were issued to those who wished to cast a ballot. During a recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on voter suppression, Senator Raphael Warnock said, “Record numbers of Georgians used their voices and voted in the last election. And in response to this swell in democratic participation, politicians and our state legislature responded not in celebration, but with retaliation. Not seeing the outcome they wanted, they could have gotten busy changing their message or adjusting their policy. Instead, they got busy changing the rules as if the democracy belongs to them, and not the people.”

Actions are being taken to reduce political participation across the state of Georgia. Recently, all eyes have focused on Lincoln County. While Lincoln County was named for General Benjamin Lincoln, a Revolutionary

War hero and created in 1796, there is a certain irony that it bears the name of Lincoln, the Great Emancipator. Another factor of note is that the county is 65.7% white and 32.1% black, and in the 2020 Presidential election, Donald Trump received nearly 70% of the vote. It would seem the last place Georgia Republicans would terminate the people’s right to make the rules for their elections, but that is exactly what happened. Senate Bill 202 imposed numerous new requirements and rules on voting in Georgia, including allowing legislators to remove elections boards and for boards to close polling places. Sen. Lee Anderson, R-Grovetown, filed bills dismantling the Lincoln board within days of co-sponsoring 202. Lincoln County has had its election board abolished with a new board now seeking to close all voting precincts with one exception.

This action says a great deal about the intentions of the Republican dominated State Legislature. Its efforts are not merely aimed at reducing votes of Democrats but an attack on democracy itself. A county with an overwhelming Republican majority is being told that the Georgia Republican State Legislature does not believe local citizens should decide for themselves. Republicans used to believe that decision-making should be as local as possible and if there is something important that needs solving on a social level, the state’s decision should trump any federal decisions. The Georgia Republican Party opposed the federal government having power over states, but agreed that it should have the authority over local officials. This decision denied Republicans and all citizens of Lincoln County their right to choose. Democrats should not stand alone in its outrage at the seizure of local control. If there is a time for a united front, it is now. The Georgia Republican Party is engaged in a power grab not only from its citizens but against what makes America great. When we remain silent, we give our consent and, in so doing, we relinquish the liberty America’s forefathers fought to preserve.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.