Sedgwick County Democrats planning "Kobach Fiesta"

[proud2BlibKansan]

(WICHITA, Kan.)—
Kari Ann Rinker, Executive Director Sedgwick County Democrats, says it all started with wanting to have a little fun.

"Some of our members said we take everything too seriously. We need to have some fun every once in a while. So, that is the whole purpose of it. It's not, in anyway, meant to be vicious or vindictive."

She's talking about a birthday celebration the party has planned for republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach. Fliers show him wearing a sombrero and the organization's website even goes as far as calling him the "Secretary of Hate."

"We are not advocating any violence or anything. The one word you could latch onto, in all of our promotions, is hate. It's being used in a lighthearted manner and quite frankly I don't think it's far off base," explains Rinker.

Some democrats feel Kobach's policies encourage racial profiling and feel like his stance on requiring identification to vote is unnecessary. But Kobach says, it has nothing to do with race.

"This is about protecting the integrity of our elections. Every time an alien votes, I don't care if the alien comes from Norway or Nigeria or Nicaragua, that alien is canceling out the vote of a US citizen. For people to try and say there's some sort of ethnic bias, or some sort of hidden agenda here, I think that's absurd."

more . . . http://www.kwch.com/news/kwch-mes-news-sedgwick-county-democrats-planning-kobach-fiesta-20110324,0,3470752.story

[demtenjeep]

1. this is awesome

cool

[MuseRider]

2. Kari Ann is wonderful.

She is smart. She is fun. She is amazing and considering how busy her life is outside of all the activism I do not know how she does it. She gave a very inspiring speech at our Civil Rights march and rally last week.

:hug: to Kari Ann for all the work she is doing for all of us. I don't know her well but I know her enough to have absolute admiration and affection for her.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. I just met her recently

Very impressive lady.

[MuseRider]

5. She works closely with the KEC lobbyist

and of course they work together on a lot of things. She was over at my house once, I wish I had not been in such a hurry for some reason and could have sat down for a little longer to get to know her. She comes to our Equality days and I used to run into her at the State House. I hear about her a lot from Tom. I just hope one day to have a closer acquaintance with her, she is dynamite in a tiny package.

Photo

Kari Ann speaking at the Civil Rights March and Rally last week speaking for Kansas Now

Also in the photo Stephanie Mott holding the flag pole representing K-STEP (she just left my house, love her. Another awesome, strong Kansas woman)

Glenda Overstreet representing NAACP, another very awesome Kansas woman and the first person from NAACP in this state (that I know of) to recognize publicly GLBT equality together with all the groups in a speech given at the Topekans Against Discrimination rally several years ago

Sadly I do not know or remember the name of the woman with the Keep Abortion Legal sign (ACLU maybe?)

[blondeatlast]

3. That's my home county--I was born in Winfield! There's nothing like a feisty

Kansas Democrat--and trust me, they are all feisty.

You go, gang! :bounce:

Edit: recced and still at zero--what board am I on again?

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. Winfield is awesome

Still a thriving town. Love that part of Kansas.