Forget for just a moment our movement dreams of justice, democracy, equality and the rest of our agenda.

Think for this moment only about survival of our human species.

Existential threats of human extinction or deadly mayhem and random gun violence now require the literal death of the filibuster.

We know we can’t pass meaningful climate legislation, gun regulation, voting rights and workers’ rights if we must exceed the random, ridiculous, undemocratic barrier of 60 % in the US Senate.

The filibuster is a relic of white supremacy, a key part of America’s structural racism.

In fact, South Carolina Dixiecrat Senator Strom Thurmond filibustered by himself for more than 24 hours against a civil rights bill in 1957.  Later, he bragged about dehydrating himself for three days so he could avoid urinating.

Seven years later, southern racist senators filibustered against the system busting, change making Civil Rights Act of 1964 for 60 working days.

Because of the filibuster we can’t pass HR 1, the omnibus voting rights bill passed in the House while GOP state legislatures are jack hammering 253 Jim Crow voter suppression bills.  One bill already enacted in Georgia criminalizes giving water to registered voters standing in long lines to vote. Republicans have cut access to the ballot by limiting mail voting, absentee voting, Sunday voting, early voting, and enacting stringent voter ID laws and regulations.

HR 1 would establish a national baseline of fair and equal voting procedures to give all Americans equal access to the ballot and to democracy.

This non-Constitutional Senate rule prevents us from saving our Earth, our world, our work and our lives.

The agenda of the Democratic Left requires passage of legislation to make fundamental change.  The agenda of the Authoritarian Right only requires obstruction of legislation.

The Right has the courts.  If we don’t end the filibuster and acquaint the Senate with majority rule, the Right can rule with a minority of voters.

Time to kill this tool of American racism and white supremacy.

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