Voting Rights Of Black Americans Trampled By ‘New Jim Crow', Civil Rights Advocates Say
By most standards, Desmonde Meade is an overachiever. The 46-year-old is a fourth-year law student at Florida International University. He made the 2013 dean’s list. And he’s about to start working as a regional coordinator for a national anti-violence organization.
But, barring some unforeseen policy change, he won’t ever get the chance to practice law in his state. And this promising, African-American law student isn't allowed to vote.
Nearly two decades ago, after a struggle with drugs and alcohol led to a series of run-ins with the law, Meade served three years in prison. In 2005, he checked himself into a substance abuse program and stopped using drugs. Yet, because of a policy adopted by Florida Gov. Rick Scott in 2011, he is prohibited not only from voting, but also from serving on a jury and becoming a member of the Florida bar.
“I was in prison because I had an addiction to drugs and alcohol," he said. "Should I be ostracized for the rest of my life because I fell victim to the grip of addiction? No. Should I pay the price for any crimes I committed? Yes, I should pay the price. But once I serve my time, I'm still an American."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/25/black-america-2013_n_3647789.html
Cross-posted from GD: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023337144
= new reply since forum marked as read
John Lewis nails it - from the article:
But - 'they' say - oh no worries! It's not thaaaaaaaaaat baaaaaaaaaaaaaad. It's only one section.
If I seem negative about elections for the next six years - this is why.
The Democratic Party, Liberals, Progressives, Leftists, OWS'ers - they are absolutely dependent on black Americans to win. Folks - listen: you can't count on us anymore. We aren't playing hard to get. We just aren't a sure thing anymore due to circumstances that are completely beyond our control. We are once again victims of a SEGMENT OF white America putting the race card in the deck that they OWN - and then playing it.
And they naively think that white male Republicans are going to just let Latino/Hispanic voters waltz right in and cast votes? I have non-flood zone property to sell ya on the Jersey shore if you believe that!
Naive, foolish, little liberals we are sometimes.
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I know that there are AA and multi-racial DU'ers that will no longer have these discussion in the rest of DU - so thanks for posting back here.
And they naively think that white male Republicans are going to just let Latino/Hispanic voters waltz right in and cast votes? I have non-flood zone property to sell ya on the Jersey shore if you believe that!
I had a talk with one my aunts back home in Atlanta. She said that white people in Georgia have LOST THEIR MINDS. They are basically trying to roll back every single gain that black people and other minorities have made for the last 50 years. And she said that white flight from Atlanta has never been higher, and these people will run 10 minutes outside of the Atlanta city line and scream they want their own city so that they're not beholden to Atlanta taxes or policies but still get to use its infrastructure.
And if anyone tries to tell me that all of this shit isn't the result of the brown family in the White House, I've got that same property on the Jersey shore that you mentioned to sell to them.
Or maybe I can hook them up with a deal on a little bridge that I currently own...
CASH ONLY!!
power holders who happen to, by and large, be RW rethuglicans, along with their bluedog democans are definitely doing their reactionary best to finally put minorities and women back in their 'place'. Been trying every since the late sixties but reagan and his wing, gwb, cheney, rumsfeld, rice ect accelerated this reactionary pushback of civil rights. Now everyone is in danger of losing general human rights and specific civil rights because of these hateful white people along with their few black lackeys, clarence 'pubic hair' thomas being one of the most obvious. Abortion rights, voting rights, human rights all under attack by what seems to be a sizable portion of washingtons white power 'elite' and white leaders in the individual state legislative and executive power 'elite'. Some call them elite, I just call them PIGS!!!!!!!!!!!!! We as citizens all are in danger. Just like fukishima is slowly poisoning the pacific ocean, our toxic 'leaders' are slowly poisoning dissent, minority and women's rights and minds. ZimPIG a perfect example, out here in the streets, of all that is going on and wrong in this society......MSM? USELESS!
