One of the most profound moments in our nation's history happened the year I was born. The Voting Rights Act was made law in 1965. Congress determined that the current laws at the time weren't enough to protect the voting rights of citizens in many areas of the country. On August 6, 1965, President Johnson signed it into law.

Martin Luther King said President Johnson's support of the law helped transform the bloody civil rights movement into a "shining moment in the conscience of man". Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush all have extended the Voting Rights Act when it came up for renewel during their terms. George W. Bush does support renewing the Voting Rights Act.

I want this Voting Rights Act extended, and so we’re working with members of the United States Congress to see if we can’t get it done

With the Voting Rights Act coming up for renewel, corporate media has spent little time covering the Republican's delay in getting this to the floor.

The support for extending the Act for another 25 years has wide support from the President, top leaders from both parties and a GOP controlled committe that passed it by a 33 to 1 margin.

Texas Republican put the brakes on getting this to the floor claiming parts of it were antiquated due to the length of time that's passed since its inception.

Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock said, "I don't think we have racial bias in Texas anymore." That's quite a claim for one of the largest states in the U.S. Carter went on to say "I simply believe you should be able to read, write and speak English to be a voter in the United States," Carter said.

On the surface, many might agree. Check out these stats , Congressman.

In the United States, one in seven people (more than 40 million people) can barely read a job offer or utility bill, which arguably makes them functionally illiterate in a developed country such as the US. In 2003, the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), conducted by the US Department of Education, found that fourteen percent of American adults scored at this “below basic” level in prose literacy. More than half of these persons did not have a high-school diploma or GED. Thirty-nine percent of persons at this level were Hispanic; 20 percent were black; and 37 percent were White.

The delay is shameful and for each day that passes without the Voting Rights Act getting renewed, those lawmakers who participate in blocking this effort should be closely scrutinized for not just their polital pandering to a right-wing extremist base, but also for their racism and outright ignorance on the continuing need to protect the voting rights of all Americans.