Writing Homework Help

In the 2020 Presidential Election, Donald Trump lost to Joe Biden by a significant margin.  Despite suffering a clear loss, Trump refused to concede that he had lost the election, claiming–without evidence–that millions of fraudulent votes had been cast in many states he lost.  Trump focused particular attention on Georgia, where he hoped the state’s Republican governor, Republican secretary of state, and Republican-controlled legislature would override the results of the election and hand him the state’s presidential electoral votes.  To their credit, Republican officials in Georgia resisted Trump’s pressure and–after a thorough investigation of the state’s election–confirmed that Biden had legitimately won the state’s electoral votes.

When the Georgia legislature reconvened early in 2021, however, Republicans decided to make substantial changes to the state’s voting laws.  Reaction to the new laws was loud and swift.  Atlanta-based corporations Coca-Cola and Delta Airlines as well as Major League Baseball, Microsoft, and others spoke against the laws, as did many social activists and Democratic leaders.  Republicans were equally insistent that the laws are necessary and not meant to discourage any particular group of people from voting.

Afterward, other Republican-led states followed in Georgia’s footsteps, passing new voting laws that some view as racially motivated and others see as protecting election integrity.  Most recently, Texas has passed what some claim are the most restrictive voting laws in the nation.

For this discussion, I would like you to read the articles provided at the links below.  The first two provide an overview the new laws and what led to their passage.  The other four provide opinion on both sides of the debate from mainstream liberal and conservative news sources.

In a MS-Word document, I would like you to summarize each article in a 150-250 word paragraph.  You should not use any quotes in your summaries, and you do not have to provide any citations.  You will write a total of six paragraphs that are a combined 900-1500 words.  Once you are done with the summaries, please submit your work to the dropbox provided.

After you have submitted your work to the dropbox, I would like you to join the discussion.  You will make an original post that answers the following questions.

1. Think back to Primary Source Assignment 1 in which we examined the Reconstruction Amendments.  In at least 150 words, explain whether or not you think Texas’s new voting laws violate the spirit of those amendments.

2. Consider the sources we read related to the Texas black codes and General Reynolds’s report on East Texas.  In at least 150 words, explain if you think Texas’s new voting laws represent a step back toward that sort of repression or if you think the new voting laws represent something different.

3. In at least 150 words, explain which of the four opinion pieces you think makes the most persuasive argument regarding the laws.

4. Imagine now that you have the power to enact any voting law you wish for the state of Texas.  In at least 150 words, write a law that you think would satisfy both Republican and Democratic concerns about voting.