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Subject: Stop Ohio from Suppressing the Black Vote
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Open Season on the Black Vote
The Republican party's War on Voting Rights continues in 2006, and in Ohio it's led by this man.
Secretary of State Ken Blackwell is pushing a plan that will prevent tens of thousands of Black people from voting.
We've fought for our right to vote before, and we can do it again. Join us.
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Dear ColorOfChange.org member,
In the 2000 and 2004 elections, Republicans relentlessly attacked the voting rights of Black people. Their dirty politics undermined one of our most precious and hard-won rights, but it helped them win the presidency, twice. It should be no surprise they're at it again and that they won't stop without a fight.
Three weeks ago, Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell--who oversaw massive disenfranchisement in 2004[1][2]--created ridiculous new rules that make it virtually impossible for non-profits to register voters[3], killing what for many communities is the driving force for voter registration and turnout.
This is not a localized case of a policy that happens to be bad for Black and minority voters. It's part of a coordinated, nation-wide Republican strategy to win elections by keeping people from exercising their right to vote. If Blackwell gets his way, Ohio will suppress the votes of tens of thousands of Black and low-income voters and set a dangerous precedent for the rest of the country.
The Ohio Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) will have an opportunity to reject Blackwell's new rules on Monday, June 26th. Please join us in supporting People for the American Way's call on JCARR to stop this anti-democratic scheme in its tracks.
http://www.colorofchange.org/ohio/
Ken Blackwell
Kenneth Blackwell[4] is a Black Republican who in 2004 held the dual titles of Secretary of State (the official in charge of elections) and Co-Chair of Bush's Ohio campaign. Like Katherine Harris in Florida during the 2000 election, Blackwell used his power as Secretary of State to serve his partisan, pro-Bush agenda. He manipulated and misinterpreted election rules in all sorts of questionable ways, consistently defying logic--and even court orders--to increase Bush's chances of winning in Ohio. Blackwell's policies in 2004 consistently made it harder for people in Black and low-income areas to vote, and it appears that this was a major part of his strategy to swing Ohio in Bush's favor.
Now, Blackwell is running for governor, and he's using his position, and the same kinds of outrageous tactics, to help himself and other Republicans in Ohio.
It's not just Ohio
A dangerous assault on the voting rights of Black folks, other people of color, and the poor is happening across the country. Several tactics are being used--the latest attacks involve voter identification requirements and unreasonable restrictions on groups that register voters.
It's not that Republicans dislike Black, minority, and low-income voters, but they know that those voters tend to support Democratic candidates. Instead of building a platform that actually appeals to these communities, Republicans have often decided that the best tactic is to suppress their vote. To be fair, Democrats aren't really much better on this issue. When they stand up for minority voting rights, it's usually because it improves their chances of winning; and when they find it politically inconvenient to stand up for minority and low-income voters, they're willing to sell them out to avoid rocking the boat.[5]
Fighting Back
Voter suppression has no place in American politics. It undermines our political power, hindering our ability to advocate for the well-being of our communities and to determine our collective future.
This is not the first assault on our voting rights, and it certainly won't be the last. Those seeking to suppress the Black vote will not give up easily. We must face them with the same conviction and committment that we showed during the Civil Rights struggle of the 1960s.
Let's send a strong message, today--that we will not allow our voting rights to be trampled without a fight.
http://www.colorofchange.org/ohio/
Thank You and Peace,
-- James, Van, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
June 23rd, 2006
References:
1. "Was the 2004 Election Stolen?" Rolling Stone, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10432334/was_the_2004_election_stolen
2. Preserving Democracy: What Went Wrong in Ohio, Status Report of the House Judiciary Committee Democratic Staff. Rep. John Conyers, Jr., January 5, 2005.
http://www.house.gov/judiciary_democrats/ohiostatusrept1505.pdf
3. Restrictive voter registration rules in Ohio. People for the American Way
http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=21492
4. "J. Kenneth Blackwell: The "J" is for Judas" The Free Press, Bob Fitrakis
http://freepress.org/columns/display/3/2005/1049
5. "Time to Put Democratic Senators on the Hot Seat." Portland Independent Media, Dave Lindorff
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2005/01/307252.shtml
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