Voter suppression in Georgia

As a general rule, when the underlying motivation of an action can be determined, the measure of its fairness will be exposed. In Georgia, they have passed a law that prohibits giving food or drink to voters standing in line to cast their election ballots. That's obviously a mean-spirited effort to discourage in-person voting. The rest of the law is similarly designed and targeted to suppress voting, especially among certain demographic cohorts who are indirectly being told they are not welcome to participate in the most vital civic activity in our democracy.

Michael Barone claims in his April 9 column that this Georgia law does not represent a return to Jim Crow exclusion practices and to call it such "is a despicable lie" and "a libel against the American people." Methinks he protests too much. No food, no drink? The intensions of the Georgia legislature are quite apparent.

Meanwhile, according to Barone, we must hide these kinds of practices for they are "giving ammunition to adversaries like the Chinese." Yes, let's pretend there are no problems here - just like the Chinese try to do in their country.

Jim Kinney

Vernon Hills