The Justice Department and Voter Suppression

One of the reasons why I'm not so upset that Alberto Gonzales hasn't resigned, is because he has answers to give. Answers for many things, but especially for the role in the Justice Department in enforcing, or NOT enforcing VOTING RIGHTS.

It seems as if this Justice Department didn't find a non-White voter whose rights they felt worthy of defending.

Wrapped up in the U.S. Attorney flap, is this issue of voting rights. It seems to come up, time and time again, as an underlying reason why the U.S. Attorneys were targeted for removal.

In Minnesota, Tom Heffelfinger, was targeted for dismissal because it seems, he had been too concerned with protecting Native American voting rights.

According to the Washington Post, half of the dismissed U.S. Attorneys were targeted because they were seen as lax on investigating voter fraud.

But, don't get it twisted. Voter fraud for this bunch only means MINORITY VOTER SUPPRESSION.

Dr. Michael Fauntroy has outlined the long and dirty history of the Republican Party and their active involvement in voter suppression, especially BLACK voter suppression. It happens all the time, but we've had a front row seat to it; in 2000, down in Florida. In 2004, in Ohio - I take my hat off to the Brothers and Sisters in Ohio who stood defiantly in long lines, as they were being disenfranchised.

Opening quote of his piece:
“I don't want everybody to vote. Elections are not won by a majority of the people. They never have been from the beginning of our country and they are not now. As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down.”
– Conservative activist Paul Weyrich, at a 1980 training session for Christian conservatives

Can't get more authentically, establishment conservative than Weyrich. When he says he doesn't want everyone to vote -THAT MEANS YOU!

Touch screen voting machines with NO paper trial; Voter ID laws; the fight against felon re-enfranchisement - these are all tactics used to suppress the power and strength of the Black vote.

It's our responsibility to fight back with registering as many new voters as possible, and being vigilant about our votes. One thing that I just have no tolerance for is Black folk not voting. You have no excuse as to not vote. If you get in there and write someone in, that's still voting. Way too many people were beaten, tortured, arrested and DIED for Black people to think that they have the luxury of staying home on election day.


There has been an organized directed effort from the highest levels of government to actively suppress Minority Voting. It's just beginning to come out from being swept under the rug.

If you want to read further about voter suppression, take a read at the following articles on journalist Greg Palast's site. He's been on this story since 2000. Of course he doesn't work for an American Media Outlet.


Some of the reporting on Palast's site:

Raging Caging
What the heck is vote caging, and why should we care?

Palast Reports on the Prosecutor Scandal for BBC

US Attorney Resigns
Following Conyers’ Request for BBC Documents

The Goods on Goodling and the Keys to the Kingdom



My grandfather used to tell me all the time: "You may beat me, but you'll never fool me - unless I help you."

When it comes to voter suppression, our responsibility as a community, is to make it as hard as possible for our enemies.