freedom summer 1964
We've all heard and have ourselves been stressing the need to GOTV and to register people to vote for years now, especially with the onslaught of Jim Crow laws and efforts by the republican party to hold back the demographic tide they know "is coming", and not in their favor.
The republicans - imo - and based on their actions, are not trying to "broaden their appeal" or "reach out" to AA, or Latinos, or women , iow's minorities including younger voters and the LGBT community; all of whom are people that are hurt by the republican "conservative" movement agenda. Republicans claim they are, but it's not true. It's all talking points. Fancy words that don't mean shit. What they are trying to do is hold on to power they know they are demographically losing by taking away the rights of those they do not believe deserve equal (or any) representation; taking away their right to vote, subverting the democratic process in their War on voting
But we don't have to wait for that change. It's here for the taking.
- Today
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Why the MSM bumps this story down the road as if it is a 'future thing' can probably be viewed in the same way that last Sunday's line-up of "experts" on most every major national "news" outfit actually had neo-cons, yes, the neo-cons responsible for our permanent war footing booked to tell us what should be done about the wars they lied us into and subsequent mess their vainglorious incompetent "strategies" are responsible for creating.
Or that a study/guide done by the Brennan Center for Justice study (pdf) in December of 2012 on the republican party's effort to restrict peoples from registering to vote isn't the huge story it should be.
So, since don't we see/hear Chuck Todd, or David Gregory et al.Sunday talk shows having their roundtables with these warmongering republicans talking about the "conservative" movement assault on voting rights, we don't wait for "the story". We do it. We do the action that makes the story
State Restrictions on Voter Registration Drives by Diana Kasdan
Forward:
This guide is issued at a time when politicians and political operatives across the country are trying to make it harder for some Americans to engage in the democratic process. Since the beginning of 2011, 19 states have passed 25 laws and 2 executive actions about voting. The laws vary – from requiring certain forms of government-issued photo ID to vote, to making it harder to register to vote, to cutting back on early voting, to name a few. But they all have the same impact: They all make it more difficult for those Americans who typically have the least access to power in our democracy to have their say at the ballot box.
Introduction:
At least 51 million — roughly 25 percent — of voting-age Americans are not registered and cannot vote.That is equivalent to losing the entire eligible voting population of California, New York, and Texas combined.
Among the millions missing from our voter rolls, a disproportionate share are persons of color. As of 2010, Census data shows that 37 percent of eligible blacks and 48 percent of eligible Hispanics are not registered to vote.
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So just to put finer point on the need and opportunity with some startling numbers that phased me hearing them laid out, is former NAACP president Ben Jealous speaking on just that with Chris Hayes a couple of days ago.
"The antidote to massive voter suppression is massive voter registration"
- Ben Jealous
Out of the billion or so spent on presidential elections, with just
ten or so million dollars of that amount
(or maybe more if needed - it's worth it) designated to registering voters we could take back states like North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, even Mississippi and more.
In each state there are at least twice as many unregistered potential Dem voters than needed to take us Dems over the top in much of the south. And that's if only half of the newly registered voters were to vote.
(short ad - sorry)
MSNBC link: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/...
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A refocusing on 'Freedom Summer'. Reverend Al Sharpton has written:
Why 2014 Should Be Another Freedom Summer - June 16. 2014
Reverend Al Sharpton's National Action Network;
The 50th Anniversary of Mississippi Freedom Summer
..After so many marched, organized, petitioned, registered voters, and risked their lives and livelihoods -- and some even died -- how do we as a country allow their victories to be stripped away before our very eyes? If there was ever a time to have a renewed Freedom Summer, that time is now, in 2014.
In all my years of civil rights work, I never thought I'd see the day that the Voting Rights Act would be effectively gutted and transformed. Last year the Supreme Court did just that when it declared Section 5 of the Act (which requires areas with a history of discrimination to receive federal approval before making voting changes) unconstitutional. States have effectively been able to institute new requirements and make new regulations without federal approval -- and you'd better believe they have been busy doing so. While there has been pushback against this and other measures to block voters from the polls, at least 19 states have enacted harsh voting requirements like new ID laws. Making it more difficult for blacks, the poor, the elderly and other minorities to participate, these laws have caused us to regress as a society and forget about the goals of that Freedom Summer 50 years past. It is up to us to put an end to these draconian measures. We must urge Congress to pass the Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014 and restore protections for our right to vote.
We've been hearing for a while now that the time is nearing that demographics are shifting against the republican party, and that some day the GOP will no longer have enough "conservatives" or teabaggers or fundies to win.
But the thing is, that has already happened. We don't have to wait. We just have to invest wisely at the ground level of politics. Take some of the money spent at the top races and spend it to gather the people together. Get people registered
And talk to our representatives that we want more funding and focus on registering people to vote
There are younger Dems doing some very good work making it happen, and the DNC too with the new Arbor Project, but let's make sure that more funding is designated specifically for registration of voters all over the country and in the reddest states and local areas where republicans believe they've safely gerrymandered their own little fiefdoms and where the most egregious voter suppression tactics are taking place.
So nothing earthshattering about this news, except it kind of really is. We could take the south sooner than later if we spend the money where it is really needed
Thx for stopping by :)
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P.S. Luck ! I was searching for Reverend Dr. William Barber and just found a Diary by ShoshannaD that covers some of the same ground and has a video of another brave activist doing excellent work for the people; Reverend Dr. William Barber:
Still Rising: Registering and Supporting African American Voters with links to resources and how to give support.
Late Update from Meteor Blades with more on Freedom Summer past and present:
This week in the war on voting: Upsetting the 'balance of power' in America's 'Black Belt'
And this with action happening from the ground up from Denise Oliver Velez: