Just the sight of this bridge made my heart sink. Less than 60 years ago, whites beat Afro-Americans who were marching for their voting rights. And still in this country, where we create so much incredible products and processes, we have leaders who try - and succeed - in suppressing the voting rights of some of our fellow citizens. It’s not easy to do, but how come we can’t ensure that everyone of us has an equal ability and opportunity to vote? Surely our government can find the wherewithal to do that. If it wanted to.
Driving through Selma made me sad. So many businesses are boarded up. Everywhere you look there are “title loan” businesses and “payroll checks cashed here” storefronts. The neighborhoods I drI’ve through were shockingly poor. Houses that looked as though they should be condemned had people on the front porch. Even the areas that are there to celebrate the march across the bridge are in disrepair. Shameful? Disappointing?
In case you are interested, here are a few more photos from my visit to Selma. It’s shocking that the bridge where the folks marched is named for a Confederate officer and leader of the Alabama Klan. Really?