Activist Rev. Mark Thompson said Tuesday on MSNBC’s “The Beat” that Senate Republicans using the filibuster to stop debate in the Senate is “apartheid.”
Speaking on the Senate floor after the Democrats voting legislation failed, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said, “I want to thank the president and the vice president for their efforts, but regrettably, our efforts were met by the unanimous opposition of the Republican Senate minority. Once again, Senate Republicans have signed their names in the ledger history alongside Donald Trump, the big lie, and voter suppression to their enduring disgrace. With this vote, I am ashamed the say is further evidence that voter suppression has become a part of the official platform of the Republican Party.”
Melber said, “Mark, I will ask you to hold your other comments in the chamber rhetorically, so to speak, and first give us your reaction of what we just heard and this breaking news from Senator Schumer.”
Thompson said, “I think Senator Schumer was accurate in everything he said. He called out the Republican Party for what it is. Fifty Democrats represent 43 million more people than the fifty Republicans do. This is a holdover really from the time of enslavement.”
He continued, “This is not a democracy. This is a minority that’s controlling this. You know, at the risk of making a controversial metaphor, we know what minority ruling is. There is a term for minority rule, that is called apartheid. We fought against that as well. This is history made tonight.”
Thompson added, “A minority of Americans representing a minority of Americans is doing all it can to prevent democracy from the majority of people in this country voting. We got to do something about it. That’s why we are in the streets. I totally agree with Senator Schumer that something has to be done. We have to keep on organizing and mobilizing. People are going to have to continue to fight for their voting rights so we can have some semblance of democracy in America.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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