Thousands of Prairie View TX college students march 7.3 miles to vote.

[madfloridian]

From the Burnt Orange blog.

Thousands of Prairie View Students March 7.3 Miles to Vote

(There are few times when political stories touch the soul. But I have read this post, and all the links therein, a couple times now, and I have an emotional upwelling that is indescribable. My hat is off to the teachers for their understanding, the students for their courage, and Dan Grant for walking with the students in this 7.3 mile march for voter rights. - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)

"Early voting starts today in Texas. In Waller County, a primarily rural county about 60 miles outside Houston, the county made the decision to offer only one early voting location: at the County Courthouse in Hempstead, TX, the county seat.

Prairie View A&M students organized to protest the decision, because they felt it hindered their ability to vote. For background, Prairie View A&M is one of Texas' historically Black universities. It has a very different demographic feel than the rest of the county. There has been a long history of dispute over what the students feel is disenfranchisement. There was a lot of outrage in 2006, when students felt they were unfairly denied the right to vote when their registrations somehow did not get processed.

But the government might add more sites....just not yet.

Under pressure from the federal government, Waller County on Tuesday added three temporary polling places for early voting, ditching plans to open only one voting site in advance of the March 4 primary. The Justice Department questioned the county's January decision to cut early-voting sites from a half dozen throughout the county to just one in Hempstead. The county's about-face came on the same day that vocal critics announced a mass march to the polls next week.

Commissioners made the change in an emergency session Tuesday to address questions from federal voting officials about whether one site would infringe on the rights of minority voters. Early voting begins Tuesday, but the additional sites won't open until the end of next week. They will be available for voters from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Feb. 22 and 23.

Pictures courtesy of Burnt Orange

[BeyondGeography]

1. Fantastic...Unbelievable image

Touches the soul.

K&R

[sandnsea]

2. Change we can believe in n/t

[VenusRising]

3. Another picture and video on this thread.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4675112

I'm so proud of these people! :applause:

:patriot:

[madfloridian]

13. Thanks, can't believe I missed that thread. On and off line today with modem.

Have to post quickly or I am off again.

[VenusRising]

15. It can be difficult sifting through all this without modem problems.

I hope your modem is better soon.

Have a :hug:

[madfloridian]

17. 2nd tech out today, maybe solved. A week of being treated...

like it was all my fault my moden was out. Turns out it was our whole area. Heads rolled this morning, courtesy of me.

[Debi]

4. Link to ariel views of the march (from the above link)

http://media.myfoxhouston.com/news/2008-02-19/pvamuvote/index.html

WOW!

[madfloridian]

6. Thanks. Wonderful.

[SKKY]

5. It's amazing what inspiration can drive people to do, huh?

[madfloridian]

7. Video from a news channel there.

http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/khou080219_jj_prarieviewvoting.b1e1050.html

[grace0418]

8. Fantastic story (although infuriating that these kinds of tactics are being

employed to keep people from voting). What an inspiration these students are!

[JimGinPA]

9. Thats Bullshit!!!

Yesterday it was 7 miles, today it's 7.3 ??? What'll it be tomorrow 7.5 ???

















:rofl:


Seriously though, it brings me back to my wild, mis-spent youth when I marched and protested injustices. Good for them bringing national attention to that crap.

:applause:

[madfloridian]

12. Governor Good Hair, is that you?

:rofl:

[madfloridian]

10. Video from another Fox station. Waller County officials say students are lying.

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/myfox/MyFox/pages/sidebar_video.jsp?contentId=5814149&version=1&locale=EN-US

I am very unimpressed with the voting officials who have spoken in both videos. They sound like they think they are oh so smart.

[adabfree]

11. Has then been picked up by the MSM...yet?

I still haven't seen it..this should be covered.

Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmm

[Freddie Stubbs]

14. Prairie View A&M? Laurence Tureaud went there!

:woohoo:

[Independent-Voter]

16. Very cool - good for these kids

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

18. Nice march, but I don't understand the issue

Nobody's being disenfranchised, this is about EARLY voting. How convenient will the normal polling places be on the day of the actual primary/caucus?

Why would a county pay to keep all polling places open for days of early voting?

I guess I don't see the disenfranchisement. Having an early voting place within 7 or 7.3 miles seems like SUPERenfranchisement.

I'm calling "much ado about nothing".

[grantcart]

19. they don't pay to keep it open they simply add a booth to an existing

county office and a trained employee is there. It is a common set up. So is it your contention that these kids are troublemakers and they would talk 7 miles because there is no issue or do you think it is more likely that they are aware that in other places sensible accomodations are made but for them they got the cold shoulder.


I can't get my daughter to walk to her high school. Something has deeply motivated these kids but in keeping with the terribly unproductive cynicism that many have please go ahead and crap on people who are excited and motivated to vote.

Don't be inspired, refuse to see a bigger picture, let history pass you by.


Here is another extremely inspiring young person who has been profoundly moved by what is happening http://thinkonthesethings.wordpress.com/2008/02/06/video-interviewer-picks-the-wrong-obama-supporter-to-try-to-railroad/

I will warn you that if you want to keep your cynicism intact do not click on the "Economist" reaction as to what is happening and absolutely do not click on the kids back story. It might brighten your entire week.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

23. Thanks for the video link, great interview

Derrick is obviously a smart kid, able to stay on his train of thought despite being interrupted by the somewhat pointed questions by the interviewer. Even managed a "I might vote for McCain" joke at the end (and it was obviously a joke).

I agree that something has motivated these kids. 7.3 miles will take a slow-moving crowd some time to complete, maybe 3 or 4 hours. Then a few hours or more for all of them to vote. Then what? Walk back? That's a long day, and I respect it.

I don't think they're troublemakers. The march appeared orderly and was escorted and covered by media. I hope they were organized enough to have water available, and transport for any who couldn't complete the walk.

I just don't understand the source of the outrage. What is the inspiration for the march and the vote-in at the county seat? Is it the inconvenience of a 7.3 mile car ride to vote early? Just the fact that Texas made early voting available seems like a plus, a real convenience. I wish my state would do that. (but I'd drive, or ride my bicycle. I'm too old to walk 7 miles each way)

No cynicism intended.

[grantcart]

26. sorry i misread your OP I just think that when there are that many

folks are that pissed there is something to their charge. I am guessing that other counties have made other accomodations for similar situations and these guys feel slighted. I vote automatic absentee because it so easy - Craig

[madfloridian]

29. Frankly, it is called voter suppression.

Doing away with voting places is suppressing votes. Be proud for these young people who know what is being done to them.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

30. If the county has fewer polling places Mar 4, then I agree,

That would be suppression.

But if the county opens a polling place early, and will open all the usual precinct places on Mar 4, I'd call that "convenience".

[TheDoorbellRang]

28. I read that when they went to vote on election day in 2004,

somehow all their voter registrations had gone missing and they couldn't vote. Guess they don't like assuming all will be hunky dory this time; by voting early they can find out right away if their registrations have gone "missing" again and get it rectified before March 4th.

[GoldieAZ49]

20. Fantastic!!! n/t

[smalll]

21. Maybe it's a generational thing.

Maybe today's college kids (who didn't get out of the stroller until 8 years old or something) find it a Long March to go 7.3 miles. I personally walked that much, if not more, just yesterday for exercise/recreation this same February -- up here in NY, not down in Texas (where it looks pretty nice weather-wise.)

[madfloridian]

22. It seems to be important to minimalize their efforts. Why?

I have noticed several posts doing that. I wonder why? Many precincts that were open for the convenience of some people are being closed. Why?

Why must you put down their efforts as unimportant.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

25. 7.3 miles in a crowd takes a while

it's slower than (probably) you doing some exercise. Then, how long were they going to stand in line to vote with probably one clerk and one or two polling booths? Hours more. Then 7.3 miles hoofing it back home.

Those kids were in for a long day.

[smalll]

31. Well, that's true the more people the longer it takes.

And they were going to stand in line at the end. But DID they walk back? (Or have rides arranged?) I'm quite open to the belief they didn't, otherwise, we'd be hearing that they marched 14.6 miles.

[rocktivity]

24. Good on ya, kids--and I don't give a rat's rear end WHO you vote for!

Which is what I said back in '06 when I read this story about a 95-year old woman didn't have a way to get to her polling place and called 911!

:patriot:
rocknation

[grantcart]

27. If you like this thread you will love this video

http://thinkonthesethings.wordpress.com/2008/02/06/video-interviewer-picks-the-wrong-obama-supporter-to-try-to-railroad/