Do you really want to give up this right?
In the last two years efforts have been launched in 39 states to require a photo id to vote.
Last week a howl of protest went up when posters were mounted in minority communities in Ohio and Wisconsin, warning about voter fraud.
The message from the posters was clear – if you break the voting law, you commit a crime.
But the greater message from such efforts is more troublesome to some. It is that there’s a serious drive to keep black, elderly and other voters away from the polls.
Is this true? If so, is this a problem here?
This article from the Nation says it could be:
http://www.thenation.com/blog/169783/racial-politics-behind-right-wings-poll-watching#
This too.
http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/08/true_the_votes_large_and_growing_far-right_network.html
And after you digest that read this about a True the Vote effort in Illinois
The message to me from this all is very simple – the news media that serves the black, latino and immigrant communities needs to do all it can to get out the vote. Why?
Because these are communities that need their voices heard. Because whether or not there’s a campaign to mute your voice, you need to speak up. But to clear up any doubts about how ethnic communities use their rights, they need to vote. And that’s where you need to do your work.
Editorials, letters to the editor, interviews, open discussions, stories. Where to vote. Whose is endorsing who. What issues matter. This is information you need to pass along. Here’s a chance to use your webpages to let people talk to each other and know that voting is a right you don’t throw away.
Here, for example, is what the folks at EXTRA put together.
Anyone else have any examples?
So, I’m counting on you do something and when you do, please let me know so we can share it with the rest of the ethnic news media.
steve@chicagoistheworld.org – 312 369 6400
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