Redistricting and Race

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   Sooner28posted 12 years ago

   Brenda Landwher, a Kansas politician who is currently in a redistricting fight, claimed, "Gerrymandering an area of Wichita where primarily Caucasian voters reside in homes that are upwards of $800,000 in price violates committee rules and federal redistricting guidelines.  Any map that draws my home into Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau's district is a violation of two communities' interest."  The redistricting plan would ensure that more minorities would be in her district, which is 84% white.  Faust-Goudeau's district is only 45% white.  http://cjonline.com/news/2012-03-14/ger … istricting
   
   To me, this sums up the electoral strategy of the current Republican party.

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      lovemychrisposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Exactly!
      
      That's why Kucinich and Kaptur had to run against each other. We lost a good Dem either way.
      And why Barney Frank is not running again.
      
      And most def to silence minorities. Our Dem speaker of the house was indicted for that! And lost his job and license to practice law...because the jury saw it as racism.
      
      It's dirty tricks, just like the new voter id laws....dirty tricks.

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         Xenonlitposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Their dirty tricks under the Bush administration were aimed at helping the corporations to loot the nation's treasury. Now they are on the attack against their fellow citizens in order to loot the nation's political power.
         
         All they are accomplishing is their sure downfall and demise. Telling large  groups of  American that only white Republicans can enjoy important rights is a sure way to energize voters, class action lawsuits, and organized protest that will shut everything down.
         
         They cannot hire and arm enough overweight and maladjusted pink bullies to control us all.

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   Credence2posted 12 years ago

   Well, you know what they say, If you can't win fair and square, play dirty.
   
   Thank God for Attorney General Holder who is calling for a halt to these practices in South Carolina and Texas. It is more than a coincidence that most of the people that would be practically disenfranchised under these 'laws' are minorities, students and the elderly, who are more likely than not, strong democratic party adherents.
   
   While the 'right' says that everybody needs to get a picture id to drive, for example, voting is a right not a privelege and eligible voters can not be intimidated in this way.
   
   More right wing nonsense that will prove 'dead on arrival'

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      Sooner28posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      In Oklahoma, they don't allow voting on college campuses, even though it would drastically increase the turnout for younger voters.  Gotta love politics.

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      Xenonlitposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      The elephant sitting in the room is the fact that no government can do something that disenfranchises voters. But we have a corrupted Supreme Court that seems to enjoy writing it's own laws instead of making rulings.

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         Sooner28posted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Technically, they "can't."  But they also aren't supposed to hold people indefinitely, or subject them to cruel and unusual punishment, and you know how that has gone recently.
         
         The conservative majority on the Supreme Court might as well just wear the corporate logos that have bought them.  The system is absurd sometimes.

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      American Viewposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      What is so wrong with having a voter ID. Here in Texas Holder says poor people have to travel hundreds of miles to get a photo ID. Now, there are so many places to get photo ID no one is hundreds of miles away. But let us just say for now they do live out in the sticks and are hundreds of miles away. Guess what, they are hundreds of miles from supermarkets, jobs, gas, and they travel for those. I would even suggest if they have to travel hundreds of miles to get ID, they would have to drive hundreds of miles to vote. Here ID is needed for almost everything from cashing a check to buying a prescription. If someone does not have ID, how do they live. Claiming millions do not have ID is a disingenuous argument here in Texas
      
      Not to mention that there are 25 million people living here, 10 million are Hispanic. According to Holder he says 4 million do not have IDs and cannot vote. Again, with all the reasons you need to have ID here, there is no way 40% do not have ID.

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         Credence2posted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Well, AV, we have spoken on this before, I no problem with Voter ID as long as it is "FREE to those who otherwise would not have acceptable identification. But to get it cannot have people going thru more hassle than what they would have as far as documents and proof necessary prior to the new law. per the excerpt of the article that i read.....Is it a coincidence that a Democratic party constituency is adversely affected, they would love to deprive these people the right to vote, are they not itching for it?
         
         Excerpt below:
         
         Under the law, the state would provide free voter ID cards for those unable to afford driver’s licenses or state ID cards.
         
         Democrats counter the GOP argument, saying that in order to receive free voter identification cards, original copies of birth certificates would be required, or other documents that would cost money and take a lot of time and effort to get.
         
         In other words, some voters would have to pay money they may not have, and jump through inconvenient and time-consuming hoops, in order to vote.
         
         South Carolina’s law was blocked, but eight states have passed voter ID laws just in the past year. Those hit hardest are usually low income voters, the elderly, the ill who can’t leave home, young voters, minorities,
         
         
         The right had better find another way,,,,,,

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            American Viewposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Cred,
            
            Under the Texas Voter law the ID cards are free. In Texas, copies of birth certificates are free, providing you were born here. In most sates the cost is minimal, 10 to 20 dollars. It is expensive only in NY and you cannot get there to get a copy of the birth. Hey, how hard is it to get, Obama got his from Hawaii  while he was in DC. No one knows what it takes to get complete ID when you have none more than me. I just went through it here from a hospital bed a few months ago. I got my Birth certificate, my SS card. I had to go to Motor Vehicle for my picture ID. I had to have an Ambulance take me there and back, but I did it. If I can get my Id, anyone can and there is no excuse. And you are aware Texas accepts 7 different types of photo ID to allow someone to vote. Seriously, there is no excuse.
            
            Those who cannot leave home can get mail in ballots and guess what, no voter ID needed for that, just be a registered voter and send in the request. That was how I voted in the last election while in the hospital.
            
            Cred, I am sorry the excuses the left uses just does not fly. You want to say the poor are affected , how? they have to have photo ID, how do they cash their checks whether pay, welfare or SS? Even if they have a bank account and get direct deposit, they needed photo ID to open the account.

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               American Viewposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Here is why there needs to be voter ID
               
               http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03 … -to-steal/
               
               
               I know that in this instance it was a Democrat that got convicted, but I am sure it happens on both sides.

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