A blog about living in Aberdeen, New Jersey.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

NAACP: This Is My Vote

The Issue

Voting rights are under attack.


Our nation is in the midst of the most aggressive attempt to roll back voting rights in over a century.


A century ago, the target was the voting rights of Black voters and other voters of color. The goal was to eliminate their presence at the polls to accelerate the spread of racial segregation.

Today, the target is the voting rights of Black voters, Latino voters, Asian American Voters, Native American Voters, as well as students and young people, seniors, working men and women, and immigrants of all colors. These are also among the voting demographics who are most likely to support workers rights, equal opportunity, women's rights, LBGT rights, environmental protection, and peace.

A century ago, their tactics were varied: grandfather clauses, poll taxes, and racially motivated ex-felon voting bans.

Today, voter suppression also takes many forms, including attacks on early and Sunday voting to make voting harder for working people, photo ID requirements for voting and registration that introduce the first financial barrier to voting since the poll tax, and the same racially-motivated ex-felon bans.

Attacking voting rights was un-American then.

Attacking voting rights is un-American now.

We rose to the challenge then.

We must meet the challenge now.

 It’s time for each of us to Stand for Freedom.

Check out the NAACP's This Is My Vote campaign to find out how to register to vote and/or join the NAACP.

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