Ododita on 11 Dec 2000 04:41:51 -0000


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[Nettime-bold] Fwd: What makes a difference 

 


This afternoon I watched LIKE IT IS a weekly news forum on channel 7
that highlights an examination of current political issues and events 
from an African American perspective.  i.e. what all this means for black 
folks
in America and the country as a whole. I found the discussion very 
informative in light of the current voting rights issue in Florida.  I will 
be ordering transcripts for anyone interested.

What it confirmed was that my anger with Gore for ignoring the support given 
to him by African Americans who were disallowed from voting is something to 
really be bothered about. His choosing to ignore the situation by never ever 
mentioning this travesty and discouraging anyone from bringing it up is 
unforgivable and will
damage what's left of our democracy for a long time to come.    

When I rage against Gore as I've been for his silence regarding this matter
I'm treated as if it doesn't really matter because the uncounted votes are 
all that really matter at this point.  Which is a subtle way of saying, we 
don't need those votes anyway.  Well, think again.  By Gore's choosing to 
only fight for the votes that were cast and "not being counted" as an issue 
separate from and more relevant to his winning than the 85% turnout of 
African American voters that came out to vote for him in Florida and were 
denied, is shameful!!!  It is this vote that would easily have taken him over 
the top.  Without mentioning this he is turning a blind eye to the depth of 
the corruption that is in play to disenfranchise not only African Americans 
but our entire democracy that is (as we are again beginning to realize) not 
democratic.  The African American block of voters so critical to this 
election have been ignored (again) in a state where their vote was of 
greatest importance.  Does the bloodshed, lynching's and murders suffered at 
cause to fighting for the voting rights of African Americans in the South 
during the 60's really mean anything? 

What would result if many who were denied and now ignored chose not to go 
through the ordeal again in support of Democrats?  How will this continue to 
affect us all?   

To add insult to injury for this large voting block to not be mentioned as 
important or relevant to the whole scheme of Gore's situation at present, is 
nothing short of 
settling for our continued complacency while setting ourselves up perfectly 
for Republicans to gain an even stronger hold into our future.