Hundreds of well-known businessmen and celebrities signed a statement opposing discrimination in US elections. They are doing this in response to various Republican bills, which say they want to reduce voting fraud. But in reality, critics and signatories say, these laws make it harder for minorities to cast ballots.
Republicans have bills on the table in nearly all 50 states. In Georgia, a new law recently passed that, among other things, makes it a criminal offense to hand out water to voters who have to wait in line for a long time. Mobile voting sites such as buses, which were used in recent elections to accommodate voters with disabilities, will be banned.
The statement was signed by multinational companies such as Amazon, Facebook and Goldman Sachs, entrepreneurs and investors such as Michael Bloomberg and Warren Buffett, and celebrities such as George Clooney, Paula Abdul and Naomi Campbell, which was published in a full-page spread in the New York Times and The New York Times. Washington Post.
The signatories said: “We must all feel a responsibility to defend electoral rights and oppose any legislation or measure that prevents voters from having a fair and equal opportunity to cast their ballots.”
Senior men
The initiative was launched by former American Express CEO Kenneth Chennault and Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier. The two top Black executives are concerned that the new law in Georgia, where Joe Biden narrowly defeated Donald Trump during the last election, will particularly upset Black voters. Civil rights organizations are currently taking action in Michigan and Arizona, among other cities, to stop similar laws.
In Georgia, the new law has already caused a stir, even outside the political arena. For example, Will Smith decided to shoot a movie that was supposed to be shot in Georgia somewhere else. MLB announced that the Finals will no longer be held in Atlanta, the capital of Georgia. The match will be held elsewhere.
Cash
Several major Georgia companies, such as Delta and Coca-Cola, have also been widely criticized for not speaking out about the legislation. Ultimately, the leaders of those companies expressed their disdain, which in turn led to criticism from Republicans.
For example, Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called on companies not to interfere in politics, especially when it comes to “highly controversial topics.” Many Republicans in Trump’s camp still believe there was fraud in the election last year, even though there is no evidence of that and none of the lawsuits filed by Trump’s lawyers have gone anywhere.
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