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Edited on Sun Jun-11-06 02:27 AM by McCamy Taylor
I have been arguing that we need a National Day for Voting Rights on Aug 6, the anniversary of LBJ signing the Voting Rights Act (without any presidential ammendments)
One of the fun activities that lawyers could help with that event is drawing up charges to assist the DOJ since they cant seem to do their own work. As best I can tell, the only Voting Rights Act related activity the DOJ has been involved in recently is a reverse discrimination case somewhere in the south.
Lots of Votings Rights Acts violations have piled up in the last 6 years, starting with Database Technolgies intrisically flawed felons list (which the company and Katy Harris knew was disenfranchising legal voters when they drew up it) and including Tom Delay's organized crime statue busting raid on an official recount. Big Brother Ashcroft never did hold anyone accountable for these violations of federal law. In 2002, we saw other violations, particularly in Georgia, where Diebold moved in along with its infamous (and unauthorized) "rob.georgia.zip" patch. 2004 only got worse. Ohio SOS violated the part about allowing all eligible to vote to cast their vote by arbitrarily disenrolling voters in minority and poor precints. He set ridiculous standards for registration paper weight. New registrations were invalidated at a rate that was clearly deserving of federal scrutiny under the Voting Rights Act, since the newly registered were predominantly from one party (not the Chairman's). On election day, he tried to stop exit polling in his state. He deprived Democrats of election equipment. He tried to keep votes from being counted, though the law clearly has a standard of voter intent. After the election, he attempted to prevent lawful recounts. Has acting White House Counsel Al Gonzales investigated Blackwell's Voting Rights violations? No, Al Gonzales has been too busy gagging his career employees so that he could rubber stamp a Poll Tax for Georgia that a Federal Court had to strike down.
Since the DOJ cat is away, the state and legislative mice are at play. The Florida state legislature now deserves its own Voting Rights Act investigation for recent laws such as the one outlawing the League of Women Voters activities in that state. Blackwell is requiring that the one who registers a voter hand deliver the form in person. California's Secretary of State wants to drop anyone from the voting rolls if their name doesnt match a flawed list (sound familar?).
I'll bet there have been lots and lots of other less highly publicized abuses all over the country. Think of how much fun it would be if, on Monday morning, after a Sunday rally, citizens all over the country presented "citizen's indictments" to all the people who should have gotten them already from the DOJ. Ther sheer volume of potential charges is the only thing that might be a problem.
Remind the press and the American people that without an Attorney General to enforce the Voting Rights Act, there IS NO Voting Rights Act. And there has not been one for six years in this country.
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