Thousands of Students March 7 Miles To Vote Early In Texas

[FlyingSquirrel]

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/02/19/thousands-of-students-march-7-miles-to-vote/

This was posted in GDP but I really don't think it's necessarily a Primary-Only issue, more of a voter disenfranchisement issue (and nice to see them combating it too.)

Thought I'd repost it for those who have blocked GDP from Latest & Greatest - like me!

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Early voting starts today in Texas. In Waller County, a primarily rural county about 60 miles outside Houston, the county made the decision to offer only one early voting location: at the County Courthouse in Hempstead, TX, the county seat.

Prairie View A&M students organized to protest the decision, because they felt it hindered their ability to vote. For background, Prairie View A&M is one of Texas’ historically Black universities. It has a very different demographic feel than the rest of the county. There has been a long history of dispute over what the students feel is disenfranchisement. There was a lot of outrage in 2006, when students felt they were unfairly denied the right to vote when their registrations somehow did not get processed.

(snip)

So what are the students doing?

1000 students, along with an additional 1000 friends and supporters, are this morning walking the 7.3 miles between Prairie View and Hempstead in order to vote today. According to the piece I saw on the news (there’s no video up, so I can’t link to it), the students plan to all vote today. There are only 2 machines available at the courthouse for early voting, so they hope to tie them up all day and into the night.

[Submariner]

1. There used to be concern that the nations youth did not participate

in the voting process. I mean if you think back to your college days, it was party time. We can thank Dumbya for one thing though. Because * is the stupidest sonofabitch and most incompetent weasel this country has ever seen in the executive branch, he has captured the attention of the youth enough that they have woke up and thought, Wow...this guy is a real asshole, maybe I should vote for my best interest.

[Skittles]

2. what is with that smoking baby, Sub

do I need to kick your ass? :rofl:

[Submariner]

4. Scatter-brained thoughts at "zero-dark-thirty" in the morning

I guess I should have my coffee first. Glad to see our Skittles is still up at all hours kicking ass. Ouch! :o

[ClayZ]

3. K and R

[FlyingSquirrel]

5. Thanks.. I don't usually post stuff that already has 60 recs but with so many

blocking GDP from both latest and greatest I thought this one deserved it.

[slipslidingaway]

6. Video link posted here...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x95715