This morning, the Colorado Springs Gazette unleashed a huge editorial about the bigotry behind Blaine Amendments, which are what the left cites when trying to shut down scholarship programs or voucher programs across the country. In the editorial, Team Gazette linked the bigotry of Blaine Amendments to the abhorrent racism and bigotry that we saw over the weekend in Charlottesville. Here’s an excerpt from the editorial:
“…Unlike any statue, Colorado’s worst pro-discrimination law directly harms poor, minority and immigrant children. That was the intent when the Klan urged Klansmen in public office to support it.
“Our problem is Article IX, Section 7 of the Colorado Constitution. Most call it the Blaine Amendment…
“…The Klan promoted Blaine laws because religious schools educated most 19th century minority immigrants, who were often rejected by public schools. By harming sectarian schools, the Klan could hold immigrants down.”
Why does this matter? It matters because there is a case careening through the court system that could eradicate Blaine Amendments once and for all. It’s the Douglas County Choice Scholarship case, or better known to its detractors as the voucher case. This case is in jeopardy of even making it to the Supreme Court because it was sent back to a lower court and it will be in the court system for probably years. In the meantime, there’s the Douglas County School Board election in which four of the seven seats (in other words, the majority) are up for election in just a couple of months. If even one of the seats goes to an anti-school choice candidate (Hint: they call themselves the Dream Team), the case is off and the “poor, minority and immigrant children” lose the last best chance they have of getting vouchers to escape terrible schools.
It’s really that simple. Stop this disgusting vestige of our racist past. Those running against the anti-voucher (in some circles, pro-union) candidates are running as a slate called Elevate Douglas County. It’s Randy Mills, Ryan Abresch, Debora Scheffel and Grant Nelson. This is a race to watch.