The Slow Death of the Voting Rights Act Is Complete

We give an after-action report on our American Empathy Project sponsored by a grant from the American Humanist Association. Douglas took the lead on this project and he recounts his project anxiety and lack of logistical awareness. He didn't realize what moving 400 plus cans of food really meant. We had to dial back our goal of 100 kits on the day of the event and completed 50 kits in less than an hour.Another freethinking celebrity, Bill Maher, took his podcast guest, comedian David Cross to task for Cross' daughter having Trans friends. Maher repeated many transphobic myths like he was a member of Turning Point USA. We listen to a segment from Sam Seder of Majority Report about the interview and we agree how Maher’s skepticism reflects a disregard for the lived realities of many. It is crucial to highlight that listening to and validating children's identities is not an agenda; instead, it is an essential aspect of affirming their dignity and well-being. Finally we try to unpack the US Supreme Court case Louisiana v. Calais that finally gutted the last bit of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Many southern states with history of racial voter suppression are trying to quickly redraw their voting maps to eliminate as many Democrat held seats as possible before the midterm election in November. We connect the historical context of voting rights with contemporary struggles against systemic racism, illustrating how far we still need to go in achieving electoral equity. 01:00 Our American Empathy Project After-Action Report12:31 Children Trigger Bill Maher27:09 Waving Voting Rights Good ByeFull show notes & links usedSubscribe to our free newsletterCheck Out our Merch