"For decades, Waller County has repressed the vote of the local historically black college, Prairie View A&M. In 1979, the Supreme Court stepped in to intercede, upholding A&M students' right to vote where they declare residency. Yet since then, the county has gone so far as to indict A&M students that vote, and in the 2004 case of one attorney general, even threaten such students with jail and $10,000 in fines.
But this election cycle, when the county eliminated the temporary early voting location adjacent to A&M, students rebelled. The county's only other early voting site was over 7 miles away from campus in the town of Hempstead--with no bus route connecting the two. And at a time when youth turnout is at record highs, says Sanders, A&M students were outraged. "This being a historically black university, and a presidential election when we're hearing things that we can relate to--I just [couldn't] believe it," Sanders said."
I bring this debate up again on this blog, because I think it is another important illumination of how far the right has fallen from once lofty principles. The republican party abolished slavery, for heaven's sake! But now the republican candidates won't deign to show up at black or latino sponsored debates, and they just won't do the work to understand where these voters are coming from, or why they might have legitimate grievances.After DECADES of fighting for the right to vote in Waller county, you think it would be understandable why it is a really big deal to lose the only early voting site inside the county's only black population center.
Lincoln's been rolling in his grave ever since Nixon adopted the "southern strategy." I wonder when the GOP will ever let the poor man stop and rest upright
1 comment:
Maker's Mark,
It isn't fair to "move the target", so to speak.
We were talking about whether this particular case is an example of voter disenfranchisement. I am not hear to defend every example of voter disenfranchisement ever commited in Waller County.
Instead of drudging up old cases let us focus on the actual facts of this case....
FACT: On election day, two polling stations will be available to PV A&M students. That seems funny for a county that is trying to keep the young black students from voting doesn't it?
FACT: Many citizens of Waller County will have to get in their automobiles and drive short distances for the "right" to vote. Not just young black college students.
FACT: Other small, rural colleges in Texas that are not mostly black aren't offering early voting centers on their campuses. I provided ACU as an example. You scoffed at it because the polling center was 6 blocks away...which I think is a long walk. How about San Angelo State University? There is no polling on their campus and the closest is 3 miles away...is that disenfrancshisement or does disenfranchisement only kick it after a 5 mile drive? What about the good students at Hardin Simmons University? They also would have to walk 3 miles to vote.
FACT: One can always vote early via mail if they have good reason.
So, PV A&M students will have ample opportunity to vote on election day. They also have ample chance to vote early, assuming they are willing to get into a car/bus/taxi/carpool to the polling station just like the students at Angelo State and Hardin Simmons...
Post a Comment