By
Richard Pea Raymond State Representative District 42
With the Session now over I want to shed some light on why I stood up and spoke against a bill supporters called Voter ID and opponents called Voter Suppression. First of all however I in this case only refers to my personal experience. Because there were many other legislators who felt just as strongly about opposing this legislation as I did they stood up too. Whether it was on the back mike in a caucus meeting or at their desks writing questions to be asked they stood up too. We also recognize that many other legislators including Democrats did not agree with our opposition and we respect those differences.
The position against this legislation was one taken on behalf of many people. In my case I felt I had to stand up and speak because there were so many people including legislators and non-legislators who wanted to be heard. I am not sure Ive ever seen something that evoked so much emotion and strong opinions. Legislators voters who followed the session lobbyists (who werent even hired to work this issue) legislative staff interest groups and even people who work quietly in various capacities under the dome had feelings about this issue that came from their hearts and from their guts - not from some intellectually arrived at conclusion.
The press on the other hand never seemed to get it. Although they reported on the Ardmore redistricting episode extensively and in great detail in this case they never seemed to understand what was at the core of the opposition to the bill. The media seemed to always want to go back to it being a partisan issue. Perhaps that is just the easy conclusion for them because some opposed it or supported it for those reasons. However those who opposed it with their heart and their guts never did so for the benefit of any political party and that seemed to have been almost entirely lost in the press.
Many of us opposed to the legislation viewed supporters of the legislation motivated not only by partisanship but in many cases by racist sentiment as well. One would hope that since we have an African-American President racism would be at an all time low. But all you have to do is look a little deeper at the motivations for proposals like a Voter Suppression bill and who it would disproportionately affect or the timing of States Rights resolutions that are being promoted around the country to conclude that weve got a way to go. But if thats not enough for you look at todays Dallas Morning News. There is a story about a vice chairman of the
Collin County Republican Party who recently sent out an email opposing legislation by writing Another terrific idea from the black house and its minions. It was sent to district judges and they forwarded it to others.
It has gotten to a point that some in the media cannot fathom legislators would be willing to stand up for something based on principle. I got news for the people who print the news: sometimes people and that means legislators too do stand up. Whether it is standing and speaking in the House Chamber for Americans most cherished rights or quietly in a caucus meeting or in a committee meeting for any number of issues when no member of the press is around sometimes people still stand up and many did.
So I had to stand up because I told
Joe Straus the day after we had a press conference in January announcing we had the votes to make him Speaker that this legislation was aimed at trying to make it harder for U.S. citizens mostly Hispanics African-Americans and women in general to be able to vote. I told him then I would do all I could to stop it and that he should understand I was far from being alone in my strong opposition. Thereafter many many others told him the same thing. He knew there were many other legislators who felt the same way I did.
It even got to a very difficult point within my caucus where the interest in going all the way in order to stop this bill largely broke down on racial and ethnic lines. If you are Hispanic or African-American and some of your best friends are Anglo when it comes to voting and civil rights matters even some of your best friends either do not get it or more likely just cannot feel it. As I said in my speech I cant make you feel what I feel.
I had to stand up not because the passage of this bill would mean I would not be able to vote; or my wife (who is Anglo) would not be able to vote; or my children would not be able to vote; but because of all the seoras who would be harassed and discouraged from voting; because of all the U.S. citizens that live in colonias; because of the guys who drive trucks for a living; because of the people who work behind the counter in restaurants and convenience stores all around the state; because of the single moms who want a better life for their children; and believe voting might be the way to assure a better future. Had the Voter Suppression bill passed all of these categories of people and many more would be adversely affected.
It is easy in the legislature to do what Sam Rayburn one of my political heroes once said Go along to get along. If you always go along to get along then you dont have to hear one of the Anglo Democrats whom you thought was one of your closest friends angrily say Democrat is Spanish for stupid! over and over just in case you did not hear it the first three times. Of course it was never said to anyones face only to whomever happened to be three feet away from him like I was. Sam Rayburn also said Forgive and Remember.
I think things will get better. Nobody hit anyone and that was a good start. But until all of us the press the participants the observers of the process are willing to look past the first layer of what is going on progress will only be incremental. Stories will be based on 15 of the information instead of something resembling what really happened or what was really going on. It should be understood however that regardless of how stories are told there will always be people who are willing to stand up. Criticism from some of your best friends from some of your worst enemies or even the press is not easy to accept but the alternative is just sometimes harder to stomach.
CLICK HERE to watch Rep. Raymonds personal privilege speech on voting rights
It even got to a very difficult point within my caucus where the interest in going all the way in order to stop this bill largely broke down on racial and ethnic lines. If you are Hispanic or African-American and some of your best friends are Anglo when it comes to voting and civil rights matters even some of your best friends either do not get it or more likely just cannot feel it. As I said in my speech I cant make you feel what I feel.
I had to stand up not because the passage of this bill would mean I would not be able to vote; or my wife (who is Anglo) would not be able to vote; or my children would not be able to vote; but because of all the seoras who would be harassed and discouraged from voting; because of all the U.S. citizens that live in colonias; because of the guys who drive trucks for a living; because of the people who work behind the counter in restaurants and convenience stores all around the state; because of the single moms who want a better life for their children; and believe voting might be the way to assure a better future. Had the Voter Suppression bill passed all of these categories of people and many more would be adversely affected.
It is easy in the legislature to do what Sam Rayburn one of my political heroes once said Go along to get along. If you always go along to get along then you dont have to hear one of the Anglo Democrats whom you thought was one of your closest friends angrily say Democrat is Spanish for stupid! over and over just in case you did not hear it the first three times. Of course it was never said to anyones face only to whomever happened to be three feet away from him like I was. Sam Rayburn also said Forgive and Remember.
I think things will get better. Nobody hit anyone and that was a good start. But until all of us the press the participants the observers of the process are willing to look past the first layer of what is going on progress will only be incremental. Stories will be based on 15 of the information instead of something resembling what really happened or what was really going on. It should be understood however that regardless of how stories are told there will always be people who are willing to stand up. Criticism from some of your best friends from some of your worst enemies or even the press is not easy to accept but the alternative is just sometimes harder to stomach.
CLICK HERE to watch Rep. Raymonds personal privilege speech on voting rights
