Homeland Security Dept. orders halt to sidewalk voter registration -NYT

[Rose Siding]

When members of Mi Familia Vota, a Latino group, were registering voters recently on a Miami Beach sidewalk outside a building where new citizens were being sworn in, the Homeland Security Department ordered them to stop. The department gave all kinds of suspect reasons, which a federal court has since rejected, but it looked a lot as if someone at Homeland Security just didn't want thousands of new Latino voters on the Florida rolls.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/07/opinion/07thu2.html?ex=1254888000&en=b9ce68f6f1df41da&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt

[peacetalksforall]

1. What? Latinos going against the plan to let them in, put them to work, an

keep them submissive and silent? Now why would they ever think we wanted to give them a voice?

I can't think of one way I've benefited from the Homeland Security farce. It is a political instrument of partisan un-Americans.

Sick. Sick. Sick administration.

[Andy_Stephenson]

2. "It is a political instrument of partisan un-Americans."

Careful comrade. Many Democrats voted for the Homeland Gestapo.

You don't want them to appear weak on terra now do you.

[peacetalksforall]

3. Well, there is the concept, the plan, and the execution.

I think it was thrown together without a plan except to rile up the crowds and keep them fearful. Whose going to believe anything they do.

Just the border issue alone - the right wing ranted against Clinton year after year for weak borders and now the right wing does not want to do anything about a lot of things except play with colors and tell us not to stop shopping.

[shance]

4. Homeland Security?? Why was Homeland Security intervening?

In a sidewalk registration?

Isnt that a violation of Civil Liberties?

I thought Homeland Security was *bipartisan* and was a department funded to make our Homeland more secure? And they are trying to stop voter registration?

[Tsiyu]

5. We must hope that judges

will uphold the Constitution and stick it to the Fascist pricks. Reading "Cruel and Unusual" I am outraged at the abuse of Americans under the guise of "Homeland Security." How about a 70 year old man in Miami walking back to the bus from a peaceful Retired Association protest at the summit being handcuffed for 7 1/2 hours. A peaceful 70 year old man!

These Nazis will abuse ANYONE: children, the elderly, innocent bystanders. It's well past time for our American judges to say "Enough!"

HELLO! YOU SWORE TO UPHOLD OUR CONSTITUTION. IS THERE ANYBODY HOME IN OUR COURTROOMS WHO GIVES A GODDAMN?

[andino]

6. Anyone ever stop and think about who the 'homeland security' people.....

actually police???? Anyone ever look at who they monitor???

It's the American people who decent against the establishment.

That's the crime.

[shance]

7. That's a good point.

They certainly seem to be missing the real terrorists, as our privacy is wrongfully invaded.

[skygazer]

8. I was registerring voters yesterday

I had a guy approach us claiming to be a county official of some kind. Told us that technically we can't register while displaying signs or information supporting any particular candidate. I explained that nowhere do our materials say that only Dems can register with us and, in fact, we had a number of Greens, Independents and one Republican register with us.

He kept on about it, stating it was state law, blah, blah, blah. The woman with me was somewhat intimidated but I calmly asked the man to explain to me where it says that, what statute it is and who exactly he works for. He blustered, said "call the county registrar, they'll tell you" - I said, "well, I hope you're telling the same thing to the many people who are manning Republican tables."

He walked off in a huff. I'm working for the local Dem HQ, I've seen people register voters in this way every campaign since Nixon, for crying out loud. Intimidation tactics. Fascists!