Update (8/17/04): Check out Duane’s ambulance. Hilarious!
…roars the dinosaur, also known as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). But they barely manage a squeak.
These limousine liberals with no important work left to do just released a “special report,” ominously titled, “The Long Shadow of Jim Crow: Voter Intimidation and Suppression in America Today” (PDF). Talk about hyperbole! The NAACP ought to be ashamed.
First of all, why is it always black voters who are “intimidated?” Why not white women or Asians or…sorry, I forgot. Blacks are victimized and still suffering from the “legacy of slavery,” so I guess we’re a little jumpy.
The overview begins this way:
In a nation where children are taught in grade school that every citizen has the right to vote, it would be comforting to think that the last vestiges of voter intimidation, oppression and suppression were swept away by the passage and subsequent enforcement of the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965. It would be good to know that voters are no longer turned away from the polls based on their race, never knowingly misdirected, misinformed, deceived or threatened.Unfortunately, it would be a grave mistake to believe any of it.
In every national American election since Reconstruction, every election since the Voting Rights Act was passed, voters — particularly African American voters and other minorities — have faced calculated and determined efforts at intimidation and suppression. The bloody days of violence and retribution following the Civil War and Reconstruction are gone. The poll taxes, literacy tests and physical violence of the Jim Crow era have disappeared. Today, more subtle, cynical and creative tactics have taken their place.
OK.
In the opening of the 25-page report, the NAACP lists what’s presumably their strongest examples of “Jim Crow” voter intimidation”:
In 2004 in Texas, students at a majority black college were challenged by a local district attorney;s absurd claim that they were not eligible to vote in the county where the school was located. It happened in Waller County — the same county where 26 years earlier, a federal court order was required to prevent the local registrar from discriminating against the students.
Where do I begin? First of all, a group of black college students marching en masse to the courthouse to protest against “disenfranchisement” as if this were still the 1960s? Wake me up when it’s over!
Second, college students across the country of any race have to deal with residency issues at one point or another (see examples here, here and here [registration req.]). It’s about residency requirements, not “voting intimidation” against blacks students.
Moving on:
In 2003 in Philadelphia, voters in African American areas were systematically challenged by men carrying clipboards, driving a fleet of some 300 sedans with magnetic signs designed to look like law enforcement insignia.
For this example, the NAACP cites this article on American Prospect, which I had to dig up because no date or article title was listed in the report.
Read it for yourselves. All it amounted to was Republicans and Democrats in Philadelphia aggressively trying to register voters. I plan to contact the Philadelphia GOP to find out the real deal about the “300 sedans” and signs that looked like “law enforcement insignia” because frankly, I don’t believe the NAACP’s rendition.
But for entertainment purposes, let’s say the dinosaur’s version is true. Why would blacks in particular be intimidated by men with “law enforcement insignia?” What is the subtext?
Here’s another example of “Jim Crow” voter intimidation:
In 2002 in Louisiana, flyers were distributed in African American communities telling voters they could go to the polls on Tuesday, December 10th — two days after a special Senate election [of Senator Mary Landrieu] was held.
Is the NAACP implying that the Louisiana GOP tried to trick voters in predominantly black neighborhoods into showing up on the wrong day? Even if true (and I hope it’s not), does it rise to the level of state-imposed skin color segregation, for crying out loud? Can’t black voters call around to find out if and when an election has been rescheduled? Apparently not.
Again, inquiries must be made to get the full story.
In 2000 in Florida, thousands of voters whose names mistakenly appeared on a flawed list of felons were purged from the state’s voter rolls. Despite the ensuing outcry and litigation, the state has not yet restored the rights of many of those voters — and in fact has begun a new purge of an additional 40,000 names for the 2004 election.
Is this about the 2000 presidential election again? Good grief. Is the dinosaur implying that the “thousands of voters” were mostly black? If that were the case, I’m sure they would’ve stated so in the report, which they don’t. Keep in mind, these are the NAACP’s strongest examples of the return of Jim Crow.
The NAACP manages to get a few things right about the history of real voter intimidation in the rest of the report. But these limousine liberals want to give the absurd impression that state-sanctioned segregation and intimidation tactics are alive and well in 2004. Shame, shame, shame! Read a few examples of Jim Crow laws. Do they bear any resemblance to life in America as blacks know it today?
Hat tip: The Other Point of View (Renee is new to the blogosphere, so go on over and make her feel welcome!), who writes:
To sum it up, the entire report is a bunch of incidents “supposedly” of voter intimidation in “African American” and minority communities. Where they could specifically pin-point the incident as being “sponsored” by the GOP or the Republican Party, the party or guilty party is so labeled. There are a great number of incidents listed that are not labeled with a political affiliation (Can you say Democrat/liberal?) Where Republican/GOP is mentioned, the description of the incident infused with more “minority” labels (i.e. Hispanics, Latino, African American). Where no affiliation is listed, is toned done somewhat.This research took me all of five minutes and cost nothing….Isn’t it about time for the NAACP to start working on “Advancing” someone in need and not wasting the donors money?
Right on, Renee. Ditto to infinity and beyond!
{ 30 comments }
Suppression in America Today”. I will not provide a direct link to it. Instead, go to La Shawn Barber’s blog. Her comment on the whole thing reflects my sen
The ‘college students and residency situation’ reared its ugly head here at UC San Diego last November. Those few that complained about not being able to vote on campus were screaming vote stifling; the laughter that they heard in response was loud.
Aye-yaye-yaye!!! And these are people that supposedly are smart enough to qualify for entrance to the UC system!!
It looks like the NAACP is scraping the bottom of the barrel looking for some semblance of relevancy. You are right, they are a dinosaur and the comet has already hit their constituency.
You know what? Bush has been in office for nearly four years and never once has he tried to revoke the fifteen or nineteenth amendments to the constitution. I’m shocked, I tell ya, shocked!
I think you are being far too dismissive of these examples. Certainly the Florida situation and the Louisiana situation concerning the flyers smack of reason to be vigilant, at least. I don’t really understand the rush to dismiss these incidents. It’s one thing to want racism to be gone, but if there’s reason to believe it may not be, I would counsel you strongly against letting your desire to see it end lead you to ignore evidence that it is not.
I’d love to see some evidence of “racism” at the polls. Unfortunately, the NAACP didn’t cite or rely on any for this report.
I’m flippant about it because the NAACP is tired and trite. The credibility of these claims are questionable.
I visit your site occasionally, and enjoy it.
I am wondering, if the NAACP report also bothers to include the practice of the Democratic Party usurping voter rights by herding black voters. When I first registered to vote, I was sent a memo from a “local Black leader” telling me to vote straight ticket Democratic.(complete with pictures as if I could not figure out how to pull a lever) I was not given one paper on the issues, stances, or even names of the people running for office. I was again telephoned, by a “black organization” and told to remember to go out and vote straight ticket democrat. Obviously, my ethnicity was gleaned from voter registration cards and my private home phone number made available to a political group. Is this not also voter intimidation?
Anyway, just wanted to comment and enjoy your site.
“In every national American election since Reconstruction, every election since the Voting Rights Act was passed, voters — particularly African American voters and other minorities — have faced calculated and determined efforts at intimidation and suppression.”
This doesn’t appear to be the same as La Shawn’s: “Why not white women or Asians or…sorry, I forgot. Blacks are victimized and still suffering from the “legacy of slavery”, so I guess we’re a little jumpy”
Must be Monday all the way around. NAACP didn’t phrase it that well and possibly La Shawn should have read closer.
But the NAACP’s been going in the tank since the 1960s. No doubt about that.
Interesting commentary on its present status.
Aflac. Aflac!!
Why couldn’t Al Gore just win his HOME STATE Tennessee? Stupid boy.
Then I wouldn’t have to listen to garbage lies upon garbage lies concerning Florida, where all of the counties where this “alleged” disenfranchising went on was DEMOCRAT RUN COUNTIES. I’m here. I know. Back up & read it again if necessary…..dem-o-crat run. Okay, I saved you the time.
Yes, hate to be the bearer of bad news for all you’s livin the past. Not really.
Aflaaaaaaaaac!!!!!
On a related note, the eminent Bob Herbert over at the NY Times wrote an op-ed entitled “Suppress the Vote?”.(http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/16/opinion/16herbert.html?hp) In essence there is talk that Florida is working to intimidate voters by investigating primarily black elderly folks in the Orlando area and that this investigation has “thrown a chill over efforts to get out the black vote in November”.
The problem is that the Mayor of Orlando (Buddy Dyer – D) was accused of voter fraud by filling out or “mis-handling” absentee ballots of get-out-the-vote targets, senior blacks.
Because it was so close that a few votes one way or the other could cause a run-off. However, investigating the votes in question has resulted in accusations of a nefarious plot by the VRWC to disenfranchise black voters as opposed to giving the republican mayoral candidate the election law mandated run-off if Dyer gets < 50%
Beau is right! All of the counties in FL which generated complaints or controversy were run by Democrat controlled election boards. The Republican controlled election boards did not have any complaints. It is also my understanding that only 2 complaints were made referencing a racial basis for the problem.
Jerry – If voters in general, at some point or another, “have faced calculated and determined efforts at intimidation and suppression”, why not write a report about intimidation and suppression in general? One doesn’t even need to read it that closely (although I have) because the whole thing is a transparent attempt to frighten the weak-hearted, delude the gullible and enrage those already angry about so-called voter fraud and the ubiquitous “white racism.”
I think that if it is true that there were flyers aimed at black neighborhoods, telling them that the election was two days later than it was, then it’s probably not something to be flippant about just because the NAACP got involved. The NAACP is struggling to hold onto some vestige of its prior relevancy. But I personally am more concerned about actual attempts to target the black vote than I am concerned about an old organization kicking and screaming and fighting to stay politically relevant. I didn’t really come here to debate (I actually came to get a sense of how blogging works, so I can see about starting my own). But I feel compelled to chime in on this topic. You can’t seriously believe that there are no racists, and that many of them end up in positions in which it matters.
The R – Real debating doesn’t take place on blogs, so no worries there.
You’ll never hear me say that racism doesn’t exist. Racism in whatever form, is not the black community’s chief problem. That’s what I say. Read some of my archives if you find the time. Also check out the “My Writing” link up top.
Racism, real or otherwise, and stupid bigotry, are not major barriers these days. And I don’t care what anybody – black or white – says to the contrary. If the examples in this report are all the grand old NAACP can come up with to prove otherwise, they did a poor job.
>You can’t seriously believe that there are no racists, and that many of them end up in positions in which it matters.
Living in Democrat controlled Maryland and near Baltimore City I have seen serious racism, but almost all of it has been Black on White racism, not the historical White on Black.
Of course there is racism; since we are human beings and all inherit similar failings which our cultures exacerbate. But to believe that many Blacks are not as racist as the racism attributed uniquely to Whites is naive at best and active dissembling to hide serious problems at worst.
I have had people I have known come out of prison radically change after a conversion to the Black Muslim faith espoused in the prison, point their finger at me like a gun and say things like “You’ll get yours Whitey” or even worse dismiss me as less than human because I am both White and have blue eyes and as such don’t deserve to live. Their lack of power being the only thing keeping them from acting on their “enlightened” opinion.
Now I will agree with you there, when you say that racism is not our main problem. I will also agree with you that too many organizations proceed as if racism is our main problem. Personally, the NAACP would be more relevant if they acted with that understanding. Looking around your site, I doubt we have much in common, ideologically. But it’s cool to see some common ground. Take care.
What, if anything, has the NAACP done in the last decade to “Advance Colored People”?
Man, the NAACP just will not allow African Americans to thrive as self-determined, dignifed and respected human beings, now will they!!
We all cannot thrive in an environment which is determined to keep people below their capabilities. Time for NAACP to let go of their own fears.
They nominated an accused pedophile for one of their “prestigious” Image Awards. Oh wait…that doesn’t count.
“Is the NAACP implying that the Louisiana GOP tried to trick voters in predominantly black neighborhoods into showing up on the wrong day?”
I can’t imagine what else it could be.
“Even if true (and I hope it�s not), does it rise to the level of state-imposed skin color segregation, for crying out loud?”
Hey, hope is on the way. But no, it doesn’t rise to the level of jim crow. But is the shadow cast by it. Vote suppression tactics are here today. They’re not the same as the ones that the VRA addressed, but they are there, and they are the shadow of jim crow.
In this wonderful Internet age, I get incorrect stupid spam all the time. I have also seen those funny blurbs suggesting Democrats head to the polls after the election. Admittedly they were actually amusing, unlike the printed text of speeches stating that Republicans want to poison the air and water.
I have also walked up to my polling place and been handed a listing of the candidates I should vote for, all of them Democratic. The thing about the listing I found amusing was that some of the candidates were not going to be on the ballot, despite that fact that the list was printed for use in my precinct.
The fact that my ballot would not allow me to vote for the candidates I was supposed to vote for from my list, was not an issue of vote supression, because I knew what was being voted on. I am sympathetic to those in Louisiana who did not vote because of the flyer, but at the same time they might have been half asleep on the day it happened anyway to miss the bus normally sent to pick them up and tell them which button to push.
Residency laws definitely apply when it comes to college students voting. It’s been an issue across the country in many elections.
In Florida, in 2000, it was an issue because it was the first year that FAMU (an Historically Black University) students were not allowed to vote. It had not happened before and to their knowledge, no rules were changed.
The flyer situation actually happened. It was news when it did happen.
Some of what is pointed out by the NAACP is weak.
The current news out of Florida concerning the “felon list purge” and the current investigation of elderly voters should be off putting to everyone.
Voting irregularities happen in every election. It just made news last silly season because of the closeness of the race.
Hmmmm…..
re: the students at University being challenged on their residency- same thing happened at UW-Madison last go around. First, as UWMadison is in the main as white as the snow that falls there, how is this bit about college kids and their residency uniquely a “Black Issue”? Second, it was widely surmised that several students were able to vote both in Madison and in their hometowns via absentee ballot- which is where the whole business of challenging students comes into play- it isn’t a conspiracy unique to Black students, no matter how much the sclerotic NAACP howls to the contrary.
But there is one instance of Black voter suppression that the NAACP missed that took place in the last Presidential election….. believe the Lil’ Woodboy from Tennessee did his darndest to suppress the overseas military vote- last I checked, there was a good percentage of Black people in the military. So where’s the outrage from Kweisi and Co. about that? (eh, that’s a rhetorical question- no need to explain people)
Idler, at FAMU, the issue was raised because FAMU students had previously been able to vote. Last time around they weren’t and there was no change in voting regulations. They had a good legal argument to back them up. Especially since their place of residency was not challenged when they first registered.
Let’s talk about that situation up at Prairie View. ONE county official was behind that — and he was asking the right question. Should college students be registered at their homes, or where they go to school? And while I side with the “at school” position (but only if they are NOT registered at home), I understand his point. When school is in session, the population of the county nearly doubles. Are year-round, long-term residents effectively shut out of the process by allowing a transient group to be the determining factor in local elections?
Hey, La Shawn. Did you realize that Thomas Lifson of The American Thinker gave you a lovely mention yesterday?
(http://www.americanthinker.com/comments.php?comments_id=485) The NAACP dinosaur
I’m quite pleased that someone who is stupid enough to not know the day of an election doesn’t participate in that election or cast a ballot for local dog catcher for that matter.
La Shawn rocks! Intelligent dissection, well articulated and with enough gentle humor to let it all slide- down- easy…
Ma’am, I’ve bookmarked your spot in the ether, memorized your spatial coordinates in the blogosphere…
Ahll bi bock.
” If voters in general, at some point or another, “have faced calculated and determined efforts at intimidation and suppression”, why not write a report about intimidation and suppression in general? One doesn’t even need to read it that closely (although I have) because the whole thing is a transparent attempt to frighten the weak-hearted, delude the gullible and enrage those already angry about so-called voter fraud and the ubiquitous “white racism.”
Transparent or not, the NAACP began in the 1960′’s to include “other minorities” and still claims to represent them. We all know they don’t. They never did. In the 1960’s there may have been an honest desire to represent other minorities. That’s clearly changed “under current management” and the original effort, sincere or otherwise, has been a complete flop.
My only point was a technical one pointing out the fact that they do claim to represent other minorities and you said they didn’t.
Color me nitpicker.
LOL
I came to this blog because Right Wing News had it sidebared today. Regarding the flyers, for heavens sake hasn’t anyone ever seen a typo before. Sloppiness in the workplace has become very common as the schools are turning out students who do not understand how to use the English language and as a result are careless in communicating.
Racism in either direction is the result of an individual blaming a group for something done to him by some other individual. It’s easier to blame a group than to analyze why some individual “did you wrong.”
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