From The Establishment Bar:
Some thoughts on the SCOTUS VRA ruling
Posted by Liberal Librarian
April 30, 2026
Yesterday, our vaunted Supreme Court of these very United States gutted the Voting Rights Act even more. It seems to be a fondness that the six “conservative” justices have to dismantle this country’s greatest achievement in civil rights.
The usual suspects—the ones who have all the smoke for the Democratic Party but none for the party actually committing the malfeasance—are wailing and gnashing their teeth, declaring this is the end of the VRA and of democracy as we know it. These people would not have survived the civil rights marches, or the Second World War, or the Great Depression. I do agree with the man-children on the right: we’ve become coddled, used to instant gratification, unwilling to put in the work required to maintain democracy. (The irony, of course, is that those rightists are even more coddled and living in privilege.) People echo John Lewis about getting into “good trouble,” but absolutely do not comprehend the sacrifices that would entail.
But I wish to return to the idea that this ruling is the “end of democracy.” First, it isn’t. But more importantly: What democracy?
I would argue that until 1965, this country was, at best, a partial democracy. Yes, there were elections. Yes, power alternated between Democrats and Republicans. But can you call a country “democratic” if in an entire region an entire population was unable to vote? Can you call a country a “democracy,” as I would guess many of us define it, if large segments of those living in the country were second-class citizens? Can you call a country a “democracy” if for a large portion of its history it enslaved a captive population, and committed genocide against its native inhabitants?
Of course you can. And that is what was so epochal about the Voting Rights Act. For the first time in law, it was stated that, ideally, this was not a republic for white people only. That all citizens had the most fundamental right of citizenship: the franchise. That it could not be withheld by law or custom. It was a watershed moment in American history.
Before 1965, America was a partial democracy. It was a democracy which subjugated people at home and abroad. It was a democracy which placed 120,000 of its citizens of Japanese descent into concentration camps. It was a democracy in which its Supreme Court declared segregation legal. The idea that we have had two hundred and fifty years of wondrous democracy is simply farcical. Even most white men weren’t able to vote until the Jackson reforms of the 1820s because they were not property owners.
But look at this history. It is a history of slow, aching progress. It is a history of the expansion of what it means to be an American. It is a history of people struggling for, and many times dying for, rights which should have been theirs from birth. It is a history of people who would not give up, who would not accept “no” as an answer.
…………………………………………
The democracy we’ve taken for granted has existed for only sixty years. Do we meekly succumb, twirl a forelock, and bow to our betters? My parents didn’t flee to this country to be anyone’s serf, or for their sons to serve anyone. It’s time for white people to realize that they are as much being pushed into serfdom as anyone. And by that point it won’t matter what your pretensions about being superior to “those people” are. You’ll be right there with them.The Voting Rights Act wasn’t “Black history.” It was a monumental achievement of American history. Its ghettoization has allowed this ruling. But rights which can be taken from some can be taken from all. The majority of this nation needs to grok this, and the sooner the better.
Kamala Harris
@kamalaharris.com
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Today’s Supreme Court ruling guts the Voting Rights Act and turns back the clock on the foundational promise of equality and fairness in our election systems.
3:21 PM · Apr 29, 2026Kamala Harris
@kamalaharris.com
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Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act was one of the last remaining federal protections for Black and brown voters against maps deliberately drawn to dilute their political power. That protection has been stripped away.
3:21 PM · Apr 29, 2026Kamala Harris
@kamalaharris.com
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It is an outrage. But it is not a surprise.It is part of an agenda that conservatives set in place decades ago to steal power from everyday people and then cling to that power for generations.
3:21 PM · Apr 29, 2026Kamala Harris
@kamalaharris.com
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The court’s decision is motivated by politics and designed to give an upper hand to Donald Trump’s Republican Party, which faces the threat of losing the upcoming midterm elections.We must pay attention to what happens next.
3:21 PM · Apr 29, 2026Kamala Harris
@kamalaharris.com
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The fight now returns to the states. Legislatures—particularly those in the South—will rush to redraw districts before voting for the midterms begins. Already, Louisiana and Florida are planning to redraw their maps, and we should not be surprised if others follow suit ahead of the midterms & 2028.
3:21 PM · Apr 29, 2026Kamala Harris
@kamalaharris.com
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Their politically-motivated power grab is meant to protect elected Republicans from any consequences for their failure to make groceries, gas, health care, or housing more affordable for you and your family. They want to cheat and choose their voters, instead of the voters deciding who they choose.
3:21 PM · Apr 29, 2026Kamala Harris
@kamalaharris.com
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The mission before us is to restore the power of the people. There is no question our fight became harder today, but I know we are up for the battle.
3:21 PM · Apr 29, 2026
https://bsky.app/profile/kamalaharris.com/post/3mknwg67hct27
Adam Serwer
@adamserwer.bsky.social
Unfortunately, this piece on The Great Resegregation has aged well. http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc…
Nothing but truth.
KennyMack1971
@kennymack1971.bsky.social
From the moment the Supreme Court handed down Brown vs the Board of Education the RW has been on a mission. That mission became even more focused with the signing of the civil and voting rights bill and then became a crusade with Roe v Wade. The mission was to takeover SCOTUS.
6:45 AM · Apr 30, 2026KennyMack1971
@kennymack1971.bsky.social
They never wavered. They poured resources and money into candidates at every level and they showed up to vote in every election. They never hid their intentions either. They never hide their intentions. But people thought it was a joke.
6:45 AM · Apr 30, 2026KennyMack1971
@kennymack1971.bsky.social
That’s why so many of us are angry because we saw the play clearly but we were called sheep and low information voters stuck on a plantation. And now here we are watching the things our ancestors fought being stripped away. It’s disgusting.
6:45 AM · Apr 30, 2026
https://bsky.app/profile/kennymack1971.bsky.social/post/3mkpk2gcshs2u
He was absolutely correct.
Morgan J. Freeman
@mjfree
The Voting Rights Act “was born of the literal blood of Union soldiers and civil rights marchers,” Justice Elena Kagan wrote in her dissent. “Only [the American people] have the right to say it is no longer needed—not the members of this Court.”
https://x.com/mjfree/status/2049989170081210711?s=20
Justice Thurgood Marshall, dissenting in Mobile v. Alabama, which gave us the 1982 amendments to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that the Supreme Court just nullified in Louisiana v. Callais.
Every word applies to the current majority:
“It is time to realize that manipulating doctrines and drawing improper distinctions under the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, as well as under Congress’ remedial legislation enforcing those Amendments, make this Court an accessory to the perpetuation of racial discrimination.”
tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/usrep/usrep446/usrep446055/usrep446055.pdf
Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock
@warnock.senate.gov
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I know times feel dark right now.
But now is not the time to give in to despair.
Do not let cynical forces convince you that they have already won.
The arc of history is long, but it bends towards justice.
1:24 PM · May 1, 2026
https://bsky.app/profile/warnock.senate.gov/post/3mksqsktvdm2s
Marc Elias
@marcelias.bsky.social
🚨BREAKING: On behalf of the National Council of Jewish Women and Louisiana voters, my law firm has sued Governor Jeff Landry (R) and Secretary of State Nancy Landry (R), challenging the state’s decision to suspend the 2026 congressional primary elections. http://www.democracydocket.com/cases/louisi...
https://bsky.app/profile/marcelias.bsky.social/post/3mksty22o5k2e
Nothing but truth
Jaime Harrison
@harrisonjaime
Jim Crow wasn’t just about segregation. It was about power. They didn’t always ban the vote — they got sophisticated. Poll taxes. Literacy tests. Violence. But also structure. Maps. Rules. Systems where you could vote but never win. Sound familiar?
https://x.com/harrisonjaime/status/2050274586197942487?s=20
greg.
@mistergeezy
Telling Black and Jewish voters to support a Nazi is not a good look.
9:55 AM · May 1, 2026
https://x.com/mistergeezy/status/2050227654020714854?s=20
Steven Rattner
@SteveRattner
Trump’s net worth has nearly tripled in his second term, reaching $6.5 billion.
His administration is the most brazenly self-enriching in American history.
My
@Morning_Joe
Chart.
https://x.com/SteveRattner/status/2050182502086484281?s=20
Greg Sargent
@gregsargent.bsky.social
Many liberals had long hoped for deescalation, because gerrymandering is bad. But watching Rs openly vow to seize on SCOTUS ruling to maximally gerrymander makes it clear those hopes are dead.
The option of deescalation is always there, but it must be mutual.
newrepublic.com/article/2098…
https://bsky.app/profile/gregsargent.bsky.social/post/3mks2golzoc2t
Greg Sargent
@gregsargent.bsky.social
One more point on all this: Yes, there are many obstacles to getting this done. Some will contest whether this many seats are gettable. Others will cite legal issues.
That’s all fine. The point is to start the conversation about all of it. The overall posture is the key: Try everything, everywhere.
7:00 AM · May 1, 2026
https://bsky.app/profile/gregsargent.bsky.social/post/3mks3duwtfc2t
Three videos.
He broke it down like a fraction.
Glaude thought that people like me would forget what he did in 2016.
Hell muthaphuckin’ no.
He’s part of the reason we are where we are today.
And, no, the receipts are there and he is not forgiven.
Author Myron J. Clifton
@deardean22.bsky.social
· 5h
Breaking down Eddie Claude’s statement where he rationalizes and deflects his lack of support for Hillary, and disingenuously attempts to steer criticism away from himself.
The gutting of the VRA is a direct result of his and others who assumed they were smarter than reality.
1/3
https://bsky.app/profile/deardean22.bsky.social/post/3mkscznan722r
Aaron Blake
@AaronBlake
61% of Americans say the Iran war is a “mistake,” per new WaPo-ABC poll.
In Iraq, it took more than 3 years to reach that high.
In Vietnam, it took 6 years.
https://x.com/AaronBlake/status/2050171512838050036?s=20
Gerald A. Griggs
@AttorneyGriggs
Georgia residents — pay close attention to what’s happening right now.
The governor is saying he won’t cancel the current election to redraw the maps in light of the Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana. But at the same time, he’s leaving the door open to a special session to redraw those same maps for 2028.
That should tell you everything.
Stay informed. Stay alert. Get organized.
And most importantly — early voting is happening right now. Make your voice heard. Go vote.
#Georgia #gapol #SCOTUS #VotingRights
https://x.com/AttorneyGriggs/status/2050170576107364414?s=20
𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙚𝙩𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙚
@BasketCasePA
Democrats forced Republicans to cave on ICE funding from the minority. Surely the people screaming daily for them to DO SOMETHING will acknowledge this win.
https://x.com/BasketCasePA/status/2050172640745181621?s=20
Seth Cotlar
@sethcotlar.bsky.social
Christian Nationalist company towns are popping up across the country. The rich people behind this movement somewhat resemble the Gilded Age moguls who built libraries, but they are even more ambitious in their vision for how the rest of us should live.
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/04/30/battle-ground-purchases-ceo-spiller-maddox-christian-influence/
Idaho Public Radio produced an excellent podcast series in 2024 on this phenomenon. Moscow, Idaho’s Douglas Wilson (the theocrat Hegseth recently had preach at the Pentagon) is a key figure in this national movement with local outcroppings.
It’s noteworthy that the white Christian theocrats behind this project know they need to hide the ball as to their real goals. They are using secrecy plus the 1st Amendment as shields to fend off criticisms of a project that is hostile to the idea that *other people* deserve religious freedom.
7:46 AM · May 1, 2026
https://bsky.app/profile/sethcotlar.bsky.social/post/3mksbbtwk4d2v
Joyce White Vance
@joycewhitevance.bsky.social
Lets be clear. This is about stealing an election, this time, with SCOTUS on their side.
House Speaker says, “you’ve got to keep the grown ups in charge.” GOP doesnt care what the voters want.
Doghouse Reilly
@chadstanton.blacksky.app
Pretty much repeating Buckley’s defense of Jim Crow in his debate with Baldwin, without even realizing it, because this thinking is endemic in the culture.
https://bsky.app/profile/chadstanton.blacksky.app/post/3mksno7o3mk2m
Bill Madden
@maddenifico
As America descends deeper into authoritarian fascism under Trump, all six conservative Supreme Court justices attended his state dinner with King Charles — thus removing any pretense of neutrality.
https://x.com/maddenifico/status/2049917396954066951?s=20
Greg Sargent
@gregsargent.bsky.social
NEWS –> Dem can redraw anywhere from 10 to 22 additional House seats for the party in time for the 2028 elections if they aggressively redistrict in 7 key states, a new Fair Fight Action analysis finds.
This would neutralize GOP’s post-SCOTUS advantage.
New piece:
newrepublic.com/article/2098…
https://bsky.app/profile/gregsargent.bsky.social/post/3mkrxxsiyt22u
RIDICULOUS
Axios
@axios.com
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The Trump administration is reviving charges that federal officials covered up the origins of COVID by indicting a former top adviser to Anthony Fauci.
https://bsky.app/profile/axios.com/post/3mkln7mo64s2e
👑 Mr. Weeks 👑
@WonderKing82
I know Jil Stein voters ain’t acting like they’re mad about what happened to the Voting Rights Act…. y’all literally handed all of it over to Donald Trump on purpose. This is what happens when the privilege pick ideology over protecting the most oppressed and vulnerable.
8:06 PM · Apr 30, 2026
https://x.com/i/status/2050019064349598048
Jay Bookman
@jaysbookman
Republicans are so excited by the Supreme Court’s decision to “ban racial gerrymandering” that they’re calling emergency special sessions to carry out racial gerrymandering of their own.
7:32 PM · Apr 30, 2026
https://x.com/jaysbookman/status/2050010437580685534?s=20
The United States versus Elon R. Musk
@Needle_of_Arya
the rise of the DSA Zoomer influencer, the person who’ll never vote but then also has a podcast telling thousands of other to do the same, to remain in a permanent state of grievance, protest, hating Democrats and physically avoiding Republicans
https://x.com/Needle_of_Arya/status/2050026671580070240?s=20
jamelle
@jamellebouie.net
this line from alito’s opinion, that the question before the court was “whether compliance with the Voting Rights Act should be added to our very short list of compelling interests that can justify racial discrimination,” is truly orwellian
11:28 AM · Apr 30, 2026
jamelle
@jamellebouie.net
it is racial discrimination to try ensure that the representation of a minority group is roughly in line with its proportion of the state’s population. it is equal protection to allow a state to obliterate a minority group’s representation.
11:29 AM · Apr 30, 2026
https://bsky.app/profile/jamellebouie.net/post/3mkpzwswzl22c
Kenny BooYah! 🖖🏾
@KwikWarren
Lawrence ripped trump&Todd Blanche for ignorantly trying to publicly redefine what “86” means: “donald trump and Todd Blanche have found a way to expose themselves! And they are both too stupid to know what they have exposed about themselves in their indictment of James Comey.”🔥
https://x.com/i/status/2050063040104575352
Ron Filipkowski
@RonFilipkowski
This is what tariffs were always all about for Trump. Not about revenue, trade, domestic manufacturing, GDP – it’s about giving himself the unilateral power to decide economic winners and losers on a case by case basis, with kings and CEOs coming to him asking forbearance..
https://x.com/i/status/2050002582609735747
Drop It Low for Paimon
@wondermann5
I’ve always believed this about Black leftists. They don’t have strong connections to the Black community and want to feel special in the white community. They are no better than Black MAGA
https://x.com/wondermann5/status/2049998802065690703?s=20
Karen Finney
@finneyk
The Voting Rights Act is effectively gone. This is the fight.
So where is No Kings?
Will white progressives show up—fully, consistently, and in partnership with Black and Brown organizations—or will they continue the pattern of relying on our votes while sidelining our leadership?
9:54 PM · Apr 30, 2026
https://x.com/finneyk/status/2050046291099500560?s=20
Dan Diamond
@ddiamond
Scoop — Trump admin’s new Medicare portal accidentally exposed health workers’ social security numbers.
It’s latest setback with DOGE-backed initiative. We flagged the problem to officials two days ago to fix it.
with
@ccemorse
https://x.com/ddiamond/status/2050005456190427304?s=20
Maryam
@hell_line0
If you, as a young woman, want to have a career or an education beyond a GED, do not date men who come from families where women do not have careers or credentials.
Exclusively date men whose mothers and sisters are educated, gainfully employed, and have agency over their lives.
You do not want to be the only woman in a man’s family with a formal higher education. You will be villainized. And scapegoated.
11:17 AM · Apr 30, 2026
https://x.com/i/status/2049885824028951013
Magdi Jacobs
@magi_jay
It pisses me off that people thought Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris were “fake” but that Graham Platner is somehow “real.”
5:19 PM · Apr 29, 2026
https://x.com/i/status/2049614563713134880
Terry Lee Watkins Jr. 王瑞民💜💙
@TerryWatkinsJr1
There will be no come together moment in Maine.
Theyll uplift their Nazi and demand fealty. Do not expect grace or kindness.
10:14 AM · Apr 30, 2026
https://x.com/i/status/2049870133716537354
Good morning. Nothing but truth.
Good Morning , Everyone🤔🤔🤔