The return of Jim Crow?
We live in a world where new ideas should be applauded.
The good ones.
In Georgia, though, there鈥檚 a new idea that鈥檚 become a nationwide head-scratcher. Deservedly so.
You can鈥檛 hand any refreshments to a person standing in line at a polling place.
That鈥檚 illegal now in Georgia.
Who was the person who said, 鈥淲hat this state really needs is penalties for people who鈥檇 like to quench the thirsts of soon-to-be voters standing in the blistering heat of Georgia鈥檚 midday sun?鈥�
It鈥檚 just part of a peculiar new law that was recently signed by the state鈥檚 Republican governor after it was passed by Georgia鈥檚 Republican-heavy Legislature.
You can be arrested for handing a soft drink to a soon-to-be voter as they engage in the wholly legal act of waiting.
There鈥檚 a fear that a Good Samaritan might come along and try to bribe you into voting for their candidate of choice 鈥� for the price of a swig of Coke, I suppose?
That鈥檚 preposterous.
People aren鈥檛 going to submit themselves to standing in long lines for hours, only to change their minds for a potato chip.
I can imagine the person who thought this up being as enthusiastic about banning toilet paper.
Georgia is having severe public relations challenges with the entirety of this law.
Lawsuits were filed in an attempt to block it while the governor鈥檚 signature was still wet.
The law also provides a means for the Georgia State Election Board to counteract individual county election boards, if the state deems it necessary.
All of this carries the stench of voter suppression in a part of the country, and most specifically, a state, that has long been accused of it.
What鈥檚 the reason for the changes?
Red State Georgia just voted Democratic with the support of millions of new Black voters last November.
In January, the same voting block helped elect the state鈥檚 first Black U.S. senator (Raphael Warnock), and first Jewish senator (Jon Ossoff) in January.
Georgia isn鈥檛 alone in enacting new restrictive voting laws.
An estimated 260 new laws have been proposed (so far) in 43 states that could diminish the effectiveness of the African American votes across this country.
It鈥檚 not like this is the first time there鈥檝e been legal mechanisms in place to maintain the white, and male dominance at America鈥檚 ballot boxes.
Women had been prohibited from voting (in many parts of the country) until the 19th Amendment guaranteed them the vote in 1920.
And much of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s was based on the steadfast resistance to black voting rights until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 became law.
Donald Trump鈥檚 defeat in November appears to be the catalyst for the Republican鈥檚 efforts to 鈥渟afeguard鈥� the ballot box.
Trump鈥檚 final legacy was 鈥淭he Big Lie鈥� that there had been widespread voter fraud.
It鈥檚 become quite clear that the only place in America where there is, indeed, widespread voter fraud, is inside Trump鈥檚 head.
States that appear to be, oh, so willing to appease Trump are now falling all over themselves in a mad rush to ensure 鈥渧oter integrity,鈥� by passing new laws that dictate many stringent voter guidelines.
Of course, whenever I read or hear the phrase 鈥渧oter integrity,鈥� I hear the phrase 鈥減oll tax鈥� or 鈥渓iteracy test.鈥�
Those were the instruments of Jim Crow.
The new Jim Crow is craftier.
But the intentions are the same.
Georgians must get additional forms of ID to vote under certain circumstances.
That鈥檚 considered to be a challenge to many Black and elderly voters who can鈥檛 afford the extra expense.
There could be fewer drop-boxes in Black areas.
In Fulton County, where there is an overwhelming Black population, there were 38 drop boxes in November.
Under the new law, there will only be eight of them.
All of this could become encumbrances to people who just want to vote.
They鈥檝e wanted to for centuries. They鈥檝e bled and died for it.
After slavery, wars, and civil rights movements 鈥� they鈥檝e just wanted to vote.
Edward A. Owens is a multi-Emmy Award winner, former reporter, and anchor for Entertainment Tonight, and 40-year TV news and newspaper veteran. E-mail him at freedoms@bellatlantic.net.