On voter rights

The Supreme Court recently overturned part of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a landmark civil rights law. The part that has been cut, Section 5, has to do with preclearance. In the past, this has affected parts of or the whole of 15 states (predominantly southern states) that have a bad track record when it comes to discriminatory voting laws, such as literacy requirements or poll taxes. These states have to get federal approval in order to change their voting laws, while the rest of the states do not.

The majority of the Voting Right Act stands, but was it appropriate to cut out this section? Shelby County v. Holder was a 5-4 decision, as all the fun Supreme Court decisions are, so clearly it's a controversial topic. And here on Politics & Other Things That Don't Matter, we love controversy! (I don't know who "we" is. It's just me here. Allllll byyyyy myself...) So, I'm going to get to my judgement on this but not before I discuss less recent issues concerning voting rights.

Voter ID laws were all the rage this past election cycle. The attempted amendment in Minnesota failed, but one like it passed in many other states. These laws were meant to combat the nonexistent epidemic of voter fraud. Admittedly, it could be a problem. A person could very easily vote as someone else, but let's think about that. It's risky. What if the person whose vote you're attempting to steal has already voted? If you're caught, it's a federal offense. You're in trouble. If you're not caught, what do you gain? An extra handful of votes for your candidate of choice? It's not hard to tell why voter fraud doesn't happen more often. It's just not practical, as far as crimes go. But it's a textbook case of manufactured-hysteria. Like, how despicable is that, someone stealing your vote? Your vote is your voice, for heaven's sake! If you can no longer count on having one vote, just one vote, what is safe? Nothing. See? I'm actually surprised it didn't pass in Minnesota with that kind of appeal on its side. 

So, here's my two cents on voter ID. I'd be a-okay with an identification requirement at polling places if and only if people without IDs can receive a free one from the government for the express purpose of voting hassle free. Because requiring someone to get an ID, which does cost a little bit of money, in order to vote is a poll tax. And poll taxes, as you may know, are unconstitutional. I don't care if it costs 25 cents to get a state ID. No one should have to pay a single cent in order to vote. All you need is your citizenship, and if states begin to insist that you also need an ID, well, they better make it free. 

Deep breath. Okay. Let's tackle preclearance and Shelby County v. Holder. I'm writing this on the plane from Boston to Minneapolis and my mom's trying to guilt me into changing my opinion, but this is my opinion. I think it's unfair to single out these states for their past actions. Because even if they continue to pass discriminatory laws in the future, other states that are not being monitored are already doing it - and they get away with it. Discrimination is not confined to the south, so even though I can be as much of a snobby northerner as the best of them, let's treat these southern states the same as the rest. But eliminating Section 5 should be the first step. 

The next step needs to be making sure that no state can pass blatantly discriminatory voting laws. So why not subject all states to preclearance? This is probably too much federal interference for most people to swallow, but for me it's the obvious compromise. Too bad compromise is dead. Where's Henry Clay when you need him? Well, dead, I guess.

So that's where I stand on recent voter rights issues. Maybe we can get things cleared up before the next presidential election, but that would be an uncharacteristically efficient and productive use of the government. 

How to make a reality TV show in two steps

Step one: pick a random noun. Any noun.

Step two: add the word "wars."

Examples my family came up with: Boat Wars, Lobster Wars, Hotel Wars, Popcorn Wars, Bathroom Wars, Cupcake Wars (which is an actual show).

Yeah. It works. Every time.

After Nik Wallenda crossed the Grand Canyon, the quality of entertainment on the Discovery Channel took a fatal plunge (luckily the only thing to do so that night) with the premiere of the new reality TV show Naked and Afraid, which is exactly what it sounds like. Two people, one man and one woman, have to survive for 21 days in the wilderness with all the usual amenities (i.e. nothing except a small camera crew and a machete) but with a twist you've already guessed: they don't get to wear clothes! But the show features actual "survivor man" types so they're unattractive and therefore the show isn't going to last very long. But I only had to watch it for like 30 seconds and bounce ideas around with my parents to come up with a new and improved reality show concept.

Okay, hear me out. It starts out kind of the same as Naked and Afraid except it's got to be two gay guys with no survivor experience whatsoever. Their first task is to fashion stylish loin cloths for themselves out of leaves. As they traverse the wilderness together (along with their small film crew) they have to complete various challenges such as archery and rock climbing. If they are successful they have a choice in a prize: either a survival tool or a baking ingredient for their final task. Like, do you want a box of matches or a bag of flour? The pair must work together to survive, but after 21 days they will arrive at the rainforest pie making station and they will have to each bake a pie with the ingredients they have individually collected. Then they carry the pies on their heads for a mile to the panel of celebrity judges who haven't eaten anything for three days. These judges perform a blind taste test of the pies and choose which one they prefer. The winner is immediately helicoptered off the scene, but the loser has to forage for food to feed the starving celebrity judges. 

My working title is Adam and Steve. That or Half-Naked Rainforest Survival Gay Pie Wars. 

Just a note that I wrote this at about 11 at night and I've been sick and on vacation and in the car for many hours and... Yeah, there's no excuse for this.

My Minnesota Girls State 2013 Experience

This past week, from June 9th to today, June 15th, I had the honor of representing my high school, Lakeville North, at American Legion Auxiliary Minnesota Girls State. I applied several months ago when I received a packet of information from my dean and her recommendation that I should apply. So, I went out on a limb and applied, with no idea of what I was getting myself into. I was accepted, and began talking to people, discovering that many people I knew had attended either Boys or Girls State in other states, such as my grandma. But despite talking to these people and reading the pages and pages of paperwork I was sent, I still had no idea what to expect.

Only two days after school let out, I had packed my bags and set out for Bethel University, where the week long camp would be held. I didn't know a soul, except for the girl going from Lakeville South, the other high school in my town, whom I had only met the previous day very briefly. I was so nervous; nervous I didn't have the right clothes, nervous I would have to do a lot of public speaking, nervous I wouldn't make any friends. But everyone was in the same boat I was.

The dorms at Bethel are awesome, but only for the upperclassmen there, though we got to use them. They're in a suite format, with three bedrooms, each with two beds, coming off a common room, and two sinks, two showers and a toilet, all in separate rooms to make for efficient morning and night routines with six girls.

Although most high schools had sent more than one girl, everyone hung out mostly with their roommates and the people in their "city." The way Girls State works is to learn about the local government, at the city, county and state levels, by actually living the government for a week. It's very hands-on. The 400-some girls from all over Minnesota are divided randomly into thirteen cities, all named after Native American words (I was in Wa-Wa-Say, which means butterfly), and the cities make up three counties, named for Indian tribes (I was in Winnebago - the other two were Sioux and Chippewa). From there, we started running for and filling up real political offices. Lastly, we were split up into two parties, the Nationalists (liberal) and the Federalists (conservative), and were supposed to be true to these parties when we built our platforms during conventions.

I was elected to City Council, and I had the position of Press, Promotion and Public Relations. My duties were recruiting my city-mates to do things at General Assembly (singing the anthem, doing the prayer, doing the pledge of allegiance, etc.) and organizing/writing articles for our Girls State newspaper, the Moccasin.

Next, county positions were filled, like the County Board, Sheriff and County Auditor. Lastly, the eight state officials were elected: governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state auditor, attorney general, chief justice of the supreme court and two associate judges.

We learned real life political skills, like bribery and under-the-table deals. For example, "I'll vote for you for mayor if you appoint me chief of police if you win." My deal was, "If you guys just elect me to the city council, I'd be thrilled to help any of you campaign for county and state positions!" When I said this while we were working on campaign posters, the other girls just smiled and said, "Now that's a politician..."

On a more serious note, we learned parliamentary procedure, how to make a platform (during county and state conventions), and on Capitol day some of us debated and voted on bills in the real House and Senate chambers, but I participated in mock trials in the Judicial building. I was a defense witness and we won the case. Just saying. But we acquitted everybody. We're a nice jury.

Beyond the governmental learning experience, Girls State was sort of a dry run for college to me. I went not knowing anyone, and I came out on the other end, a week later, with several great friends whom I'd like to keep in touch with. We had a blast, singing our dorky Girls State song and staying up until one in the morning talking and goofing around in our dorm. I learned that I could do it: I could go to a place not knowing anybody and be just fine. It wasn't as scary as I was worried it would be. I can do it in a little over a year when I go to college and because of this experience I'll feel loads better about it.

I also developed a little psychological theory: I quickly noticed that just about everybody looked like or otherwise reminded me of someone I knew from my school. Other people reported the same feeling. I hypothesize that this is something your brain does in order to make you feel more comfortable in unfamiliar surroundings.

I quickly realized that I was in the minority at Girls State. Practically everyone was from a super small town and super small high school. One girl in my city has six people in her graduating class. I'm sitting there going, yeah, I have 450... Everyone was like, "Oh my God, what is that like?" And I'm like, "What is it like to only have 30 people in your class?!" They're all saying, "My dad's a farmer." "Mine too." I'm like, "My dad's an urban planner..." lawlz. They all have cows and pigs and horses. I have a dog. Their town doesn't have a grocery store or a stoplight. We have multiple Cub Foods alone and multiple stoplights on just one street. At one point a girl asked me, "You have a movie theater in Lakeville, don't you?" "Yeah. Do you not?!" It was so interesting to talk to people who have such a different background than me and still be able to get along really well. Most interestingly, a lot of these girls, for being from such staunchly conservative areas, were moderates or even fairly liberal. We were all proud of where we were from, of our schools and of our communities and the people in them.

The biggest thing I have taken away from Girls State though is a solution to a problem I've been having. I've been interested in a PoliSci major and even a political career for a while, but when I tell people this a lot of them say, "Politics? Really?!" with a sort of shocked/disgusted/appalled look on their face. What I learned from Girls State is that I can be and should be proud of my interest in politics and don't have to be embarrassed or ashamed of my aspiration to get a job in this field. Because, as the dorky song says, "Look to Girls State and you'll find tomorrow's leaders of mankind," and "Of our leaders we will learn, 'cause someday 'twill come our turn to fulfill their utmost plan: a lasting peace for every man." Yeah, there's a 'twill in there. So awesome.

If good people with good intentions go into politics, like the citizens of Girls State, it will no longer be considered a dirty business by so many people. Instead of complaining about the government, get involved and make it better because we are lucky enough to have the opportunity to do that in America.

Girls State was my kind of summer camp: an indoor, educational camp for civics nerds. I'm so grateful for this opportunity and to my American Legion sponsor for allowing me to have this wonderful experience. It's something I will remember forever and hopefully something that will influence choices I make pertaining to college and my career one day.

A few final points:

After singing the national anthem, reciting the pledge of allegiance and wearing a flag lapel pin each day for a week, I am such a little patriot, it's not even funny. 'MURICA. Mission accomplished, I guess. Good work, American Legion.

I totally teared up when we sang our songs in the Capitol Rotunda. That place has great acoustics and it was just so awesome.

And women are so taking over the world. What's up, Boys State??

Once I get my pictures sorted out, I will post a bunch of them :)