Portland observer., December 14, 2011, Page 6, Image 6

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Page 6
December 14, 2011
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S Martin
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Carpet & Upholstery
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Residential &
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M inimum Service CH G
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A small distance/travel charge
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CARPET CLEANING
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Pre-Spray Traffic Areas
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Stairs (12-16 stairs - With
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Area/Oriental Rugs:
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Misguided Attacks on Voting Rights
(Requiring Extensive Pte-Spraying)
UPHOLSTERY
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pression legislation, w ith law s
passing in 14 o f
those states and
bills pending in
eight. T h ese su p ­
p r e s s iv e la w s
take m any form s,
but in each case
by B enjamin T odd J ealous
th ey d isp ro p o r­
O u r voting rights are under
tionately im pact
attack. In legislatures across the people o f color, w orking w om en,
county, m isguided state p o liti­ b lu e-c o lla r w o rk ers, students,
cians have proposed, and in too seniors, and im m igrants.
m any cases have passed, law s
In som e states like W isconsin
that create o b stacles to voting. and O hio, law m akers are lim it­
O v e r the last 12 m onths, 34 ing access to the polls by cutting,
states have introduced voter sup­ o r even elim in atin g , early and
Self-serving
politicians
threaten
democracy
S u b s c r ib e
503-288-0033
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S u n d ay v o tin g o p p o rtu n itie s.
T hese significant cuts force p ar­
ents, b lu e-co llar w orkers, stu ­
dents and seniors w h o do not
have the luxury o f a flexible
schedule to stand in p olling lines
fo r as m any as eight hours.
In s ta te s lik e S o u th C a r o ­
lin a , T e n n e s s e e , W is c o n s in ,
a n d T e x a s , p o litic ia n s h a v e
u se d th e th re a t o f v o tin g fra u d
to m o v e b ills r e q u ir in g v o te rs
to a c q u i r e g o v e r n m e n t - i s ­
s u e d p h o to id e n tif ic a tio n b e ­
fo re th e y c a s t a b a llo t. H o w ­
e v e r , s tu d ie s s h o w th a t a p e r ­
so n is m o re lik e ly to b e s tru c k
b y lig h tn in g th a n to im p e r ­
s o n a te s o m e o n e irt th e p o ll­
in g b o o th .
W h ile sta te s are re q u ire d to
p ro v id e p h o to id en tific atio n fo r
free, the u n d erly in g in stru m en ts
n e e d e d to o b ta in th e id e n tifi­
c a tio n s , lik e a c e rtifie d c o p y o f
a b irth c e rtific a te , c a n in fac t
be v ery e x p e n siv e . In th is w ay ,
th e n ew law s b e c o m e a so rt o f
p o ll tax fo r c e rta in in d iv id u a ls.
O th er creativ e v o ter su p p res­
sion m easures are m aking their
w ay into law across the country.
T hey include b ills stripping v o t­
ing rights from rehabilitated crim i­
nal offenders, elim in atin g sam e-
day vo ter reg istratio n o r voting,
and.targeted p u rging o f A frican
A m ericans and L atinos on reg ­
istered v o ter rolls.
T h ese attacks on v o ter p a r­
tic ip a tio n m im ic th o se u se d
nearly a cen tu ry ago in the lead
up to the Jim C row era. T he
lesson w e learned then surely
applies today, that an attack on
voting rights is m erely a g a te ­
w ay to fu rth er restrictio n s on
o u r rights, including o u r right to
org an ize, o u r rig h t to clean air,
o u r right to negotiate, and even
o u r right to privacy.
O u r d em o cracy is far too im ­
portant to allow self-serving poli­
ticians to su p p ress the vote. W e
m ust defen d o u r rights. W e m ust
have o u r voices heard. W e m ust
stand fo r freedom .
Benjamin Todd Jealous is
president and chief executive
officer o f the NAACP.