"Someone" is sending letters to latinos, saying immigrants can't vote

[BurtWorm]

"Someone" Republican no doubt. While Reepers weep about phoney stories of homeless men being lured to the polls with gin and cigarettes to vote for Democrats, they really do pull shit like this at every major election. It's all about suppressing the vote, which tells you a lot about how confident they are that they can sell their anti-democratic policies fairly. Bastids!


http://www.prospect.org/weblog/2006/10/post_1681.html#014006


The state attorney general's office is investigating a letter received by some Southern California Hispanics that says it is a crime for immigrants to vote and tells them they could be jailed or deported if they go to the polls next month.<...>

The letter, written in Spanish, tells recipients: "You are advised that if your residence in this country is illegal or you are an immigrant, voting in a federal election is a crime that could result in jail time."

[babylonsister]

1. Recommend for exposure. Think how many won't know this is

a hoax. How low will they go?

[Sweet Freedom]

2. It's front page on Yahoo now

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061017/ap_on_re_us/immigration_voting_threat

[liberal N proud]

3. When I was young, I wondered why the republicans always suppressed

the votes and the Democrats were always working to get more people out to vote.
They know they can't win if everyone in America voted, so they try to stop anyone they can from voting.

The individuals or organizations behind this should be thrown in jail, this is a crime against democracy.

[_testify_]

4. The problem

and I have no doubt it was written this way on purpose, is that it doesn't make it clear what they mean by 'immigrant'.

A naturalized citizen is by definition an immigrant and has the right to vote.

[BurtWorm]

5. They're clearly aiming it at recent immigrants.

It's clearly aimed to keep them from exercising their rights.

[kestrel91316]

6. Depends on how "recent" you mean. If they are TOO recent,

they haven't been here long enough to obtain citizenship and so are legally prohibited from voting.

And anyway, it's not about how long somebody has been here. It's not about whether or not they are any sort of immigrant or other. The ONLY criterion is citizenship. Period. Noncitizens may NEVER vote (an exception may be some local areas that allow noncitizens to vote in local elections/on local issues - I think there might be a town or two somewhere that allows this).

[BurtWorm]

7. I'm sorry, I meant recently naturalized immigrants.

Your point is taken.

[kestrel91316]

24. I prefer to call "recently naturalized immigrants" citizens. Period.

Helps avoid confusion, and gives them the respect they are due.

[BurtWorm]

25. That's fine, but it would make communicating about what's going on here

unnecessarily cumbersome. It's citizens who are recently naturalized who are the targets of these letters, which seem to state that *immigrants* are not permitted to vote in federal elections, at the risk of being sent to jail. They're not aimed at "citizens" generally, but at ones who have immigrated--particularly those from Mexico.

And let's be clear: these letters weren't designed to keep people from voting illegally. They were intended to suppress the Democratic vote.

[SmokingJacket]

28. However, won't naturalized citizens be pretty sure of their rights?

They have to take a test on it. The naturalized citizens that I know are *very* aware of what they can or can't do. I can't imagine this would be at all effective.

This letter seems aimed at making Republicans look like they're "doing something" about illegal immigrants, and at making immigrants, legal and not, feel marginalized. Anyway, you can't just show up at the polls and vote; you have to REGISTER first. Why not send letters saying "you may not register to vote"?

[BurtWorm]

30. They're trying to create doubt.

They're fucking with people's minds. That's the Reeper MO.

[rinsd]

26. IGNORE - Recent immigrants can't vote. Naturalized citizens can.

The letter is deliberately vague to scare the latter.

IGNORE as someone else already pointed that out.

[Beaverhausen]

8. Karl Rove, is that you?

oh boy...

[Tigress DEM]

9. It DOES depend on where you live and what the laws are there.

Voting DOES require one to be a legal resident.

I would suggest these people make a copy of their local laws and carry it with them. With this administration screaming for power, everyone must be sure they have protection and go to polls together, so if trouble arises someone can take a video or picture and if someone is forcibly removed report the incident to authorities and news media immediately.

Federal law has been passed, but this article is prior to *ush's signature... Not sure if VRA DID get through with this provision in the final analysis. Even so, I don't see a timeline on enactment and it may only apply to National elections. So people should be careful and KNOW what their voter status is and be able to produce a copy of the law, just in case.


http://www.maldef.org/news/press.cfm?ID=329&FromIndex=yes

MALDEF HAILS SENATE PASSAGE OF VOTING RIGHTS ACT AS A VICTORY FOR LATINO EMPOWERMENT AND DEMOCRACY


July 20, 2006
WASHINGTON, DC – The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) applauded the United States Senate today for its passage of S. 2703, the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, and Cesar Chavez Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006. The Senate reauthorized the landmark legislation by a vote of 98-0. This vote total marks the greatest number by which the Senate has ever approved the VRA.


'Today's vote to extend the Voting Rights Act is a historic reaffirmation of our Nation's commitment to democracy,” said John Trasviña, MALDEF Interim President and General Counsel. “The Voting Rights Act empowers a new generation of Latino, African American, Asian American and Native American citizens to vote, to govern and to lead America forward in the 21st Century.'


The bill renews Sections 5 and 203 of the Act, critical provisions that facilitate the political empowerment of the Latino community. Section 5 requires jurisdictions with a history and current record of voting discrimination to submit election changes for approval by the Department of Justice to ensure that the changes do not discriminate against minority voters. Section 203 requires jurisdictions with large concentrations of certain language minority voters (including Spanish-speaking Latinos) to provide language assistance in elections to those voters who need it. Reflecting the strong bipartisan support for these provisions, Congress reauthorized Sections 5 and 203 for an additional 25 years.

more....

[BurtWorm]

11. You're not suggesting that there's a legitimate reason for the letter.

The letter was clearly meant to intimidate people who have a right to vote. It wasn't meant to "Help America Vote."

[importDavid]

10. Hopefully...

...the word will get out in time that (legal) folks CAN indeed vote!

[enfield collector]

12. I'm a legal immigrant and naturalized citizen. I understand perfectly

that the letter does not apply to me. anyone who has been throught the naturalization process knows what their rights are.

[BurtWorm]

13. That may be. It doesn't excuse the letter, which is meant to confuse

people and scare them away from the process, whether it's effective or not.

[midnight]

41. Confusion.

That has been a main theme for the last 6 years.

[Berserker]

14. Thank You enfield collector

for saying what is true. The letter is aimed at Illegals not Immigrants because like you say you would know better if you were a legal immigrant. The open border crowd loves this kind of shit.

[BurtWorm]

16. It's not aimed at "illegals." Come on!

Wouldn't you know you can't vote if you're not a legal citizen? :eyes:

[Beaverhausen]

18. I can't believe some people here aren't getting what this letter is

It is trying to suppress the hispanic (legal) vote.

[BurtWorm]

19. Frustrating, isn't it?

:wtf:

[EFerrari]

27. I started thinking about this last week. This is how they will try to

steal CA. Bet me. :)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=203&topic_id=452932

[EFerrari]

22. What? In CALIFORNIA? We're ALL illegal here apparently.

:puke:

[EFerrari]

29. They may know what their rights are but on receipt of this letter

they also know that someone doesn't want them to vote.

That's voter intimidation.

[BurtWorm]

31. I hope they catch the mofos

and find out who's really behind them and catch them too.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

35. I'd hope anybody who goes through the naturalization process...

would automatically know how illegal, immoral, and anti-democratic this letter is.

[El Zopilote]

15. ¡Hay que miedo! Oh, what fear!

They are on the verge of locating those racists. But the attorneys are not quite sure yet if they are doing anything in violation of the federal law. Nevertheless I think a protest demonstration can be anticipated and justified.

http://www.azcentral.com/lavoz/spanish/us/articles/us_111513.html

[treestar]

17. They can't vote

Not unless and until they are naturalized, at which point they are US citizens. But green card holders or less cannot vote. If they do and get caught, the consequences are rather devastating to their personal chances of becoming naturalized later. It requires claiming you are a US citizen.

States or localities have the option of letting immigrants vote, but for that one would need to check state law - and be sure only to vote in the elections that allow it.

[EFerrari]

33. This letter is aimed at suppressing votes for Democrats in

among US CITIZENS in the Latino community.

[treestar]

38. Hopefully someone who has gone through the process of naturalization

would understand they are a citizen with equal rights to any other citizen - the propaganda on the part of the rethugs shows their ignorance - if they really expect naturalized citizens to think they can't vote because they were once immigrants, they have another thing coming - the whole process they go through does not leave them more ignorant that the average rethug!

[EFerrari]

39. This isn't about ignorance. It's about intimidation.

Say you got one of these POS in your mailbox. Wouldn't you wonder if one of your neighbors' sent it or who did? The community seems a little less friendly, less safe. It's conditioning, vez?

Why has "ignorance" come up so often in this thread, I ask myself.

[BurtWorm]

40. Interesting question.

As you say, the point isn't ignorance but intimidation.

Americans are getting stranger and stranger around the subject of immigration these days.

[EFerrari]

20. Is Santa Ana in Orange Co? n/t

[EFerrari]

21. Okay, Santa Ana, according to the City web site, is 76% Hispanic

and in the 47th Congressional District.

Nice going, freeps.

[Cha]

23. Would this make you Pissed if

you were legal and someone was trying to intimidate your brethren?

I'd find out who was responsible.

[BrotherBuzz]

32. Yes, and that's why there's already blowback from it.

Methinks a Rove wannabe blew it by not thinking it through. The jerk will never be ready for primetime.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

34. Here we go again.

[Hepburn]

36. I hope to hell someone goes to jail for that bullshit.

All four of my grandparents were born in Europe and came to America for a better life. All four of them became naturalized citizens and my mothers father faught in the US Army in WWI in France. They all voted regularly and took pride in doing so.

That letter really pisses me off. Yes, it is true that if someone is not naturalized, he/she cannot vote. BUT...that letter was worded in a manner that appears to be intentionally done to make naturalized citizens stay away from the polls. A naturalized citizen has the same right to vote as any of us who were born here or born of an American parent on foreign soil. This is just plain nasty, dirty, and ugly. Those people who came here and took the effort to not only become citizens, but to register to vote and participate in elections should be proudly recognized by all of us. That is what this nation is all about ~~ and here some assholes are doing shit like this.

Fucking freeper assholes have to be behind bullshit like this. I truly hope whoever is behind this is found, is prosecuted, found guilty and joins a few other of the other neocon Repukes who are behind bars.

:spank:

[dailykoff]

37. No one will go to jail.

No one will get arrested, and no one's name will surface in the news. Authorities will continue to "investigate," and if questioned later they will "remain baffled."

Everybody knows who's behind this crap and nobody wants to cross them publicly.

:mad: