Allen West Gives Thumbs Down To Gingrich's Call To Bring Back Voter Literacy Tests

[cali]

Eric Kleefeld | May 17, 2011, 2:45PM


Newt Gingrich is facing criticism for yet another idea he has floated during his presidential campaign -- that the country bring back tests for voting, which were banned by the Voting Rights Act of 1965 as a tool used to suppress African-American voters. Now, Think Progress reports, none other than Tea Party favorite Rep. Allen West (R-FL), an African-American, is disagreeing -- and referring to the sort of discrimination that his own parents faced.

Think Progress asked West about Gingrich's position that there should be a required knowledge of history in order to vote.

"I mean, that's going back to some, you know, times that my parents had to contend with," said West, who then segued into discussing his concerns with America's education system failing young people, and his admiration of a high school student in his district who has sought to be an intern for him.

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http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/05/allen-west-gives-thumbs-down-to-gingrichs-call-to-bring-back-voter-literacy-tests.php

[bluestateguy]

1. I would not trust white Southern elections officials to administer such tests

Although I must say that part of me fantasized about being able to disenfranchise people who, in 2004 thought that Saddam Hussein was involved in the 9/11 attacks.

[Snoutport]

3. I would not trust republicans to administer that test....

[Arkana]

2. While some angry, bitter part of me actually agrees with Gingrich

that people should have some basic understanding of American history to vote, I'm also smart enough to realize how disenfranchising it would be.

[demosincebirth]

4. Many tea-baggers i've seen or hear asked questions couldn't pass a literacy test. So,

that sword cuts both ways.

[KamaAina]

5. That's not how it worked

down South in Jim Crow days, a (white) teabagger would be asked, say, "Which of these is the flag of the United States?" then told he could go vote. Any African American who dared show up to vote, however, would be grilled about something like the Supreme Court decision in Marbury v. Madison and its impact on U.S. jurisprudence.