Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has told everyone who will listen that the electoral law he just signed will actually make it easier for Georgians to vote.
But practically no one is buying it, and this week Major League Baseball, the youngest corporate player in Georgia, baptized Georgia’s new law for what it is: a transparent effort to halt the state’s political transformation by erecting new electoral barriers for Georgians of color.
In an announcement aimed at sobering up other lawmakers who were supposed to vote on “votes” based on those adopted by Republicans in Georgia, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said he would be playing this year’s All-Star Game from his previously scheduled venue subtract in Atlanta and choose a different venue.
More:MLB, bringing the all-star game out of Georgia, is the league’s most important move since Jackie Robinson
More:Michigan Republicans don’t listen to what election officials need to say
“Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and rejects ballot box restrictions,” Manfred said in a statement. “We continue to steadfastly support fair access to votes.”
We won’t go through the trouble of listing the myriad of ways Georgia’s new electoral law seeks to reduce black voter turnout. Many reputable analysts have already presented this case convincingly.
However, we would like to propose Detroit as an obvious and over-qualified choice to host the All-Stars 2021, and urge the owners of Manfred and MLB to seal the deal this week.
Perhaps more than anywhere else in America, Detroit residents and elected officials have united in a shared vision of inclusivity and citizen participation. Here, too, GOP propagandists were active, blatantly creating false conspiracy theories about fraudulent votes, but honest election officials from both parties bravely resisted their efforts to disenfranchise Detroit voters.
Republican lawmakers in Lansing support laws that mimick many aspects of Georgia’s new electoral law. But there’s little chance they’ll prevail – especially now that the MLB has underscored the folly of sticking to a campaign to make electoral laws less fair.
So what are you saying, Inspector Manfred? Detroit is talking about inclusion, and baseball fans across America are ready to watch their favorite players in Comerica Park on July 13th.
Let’s play ball!
Comments are closed.