Media Ignores Attempts to Disenfranchise Students and Others

In a September 17, 2008 press release, the Green Party confirmed a phenomenon that I had begun to notice during the last several weeks. Actually, phenomenon might not be the right word. The Green Party release, titled “Refusal by Media, Democratic and Republican Cadidates to Address Election Integrity Raises Danger of Another Stolen Election in 2008,” is really addressing the absence of a phenomenon, the absence of any treatment anywhere in the national media of GOP efforts to infringe on the voting rights of student and minority populations in key swing states.

Although it is decidedly partisan, the Green Party press release nevertheless highlights the very troubling failure of major news outlets to expose and investigate GOP efforts to intimidate or otherwise disenfranchise students, ex-felons, and citizens who have experienced recent foreclosures:

‘Democratic politicians, including Barack Obama, are as unwilling as Republicans to discuss the threat of another stolen election, even though such irregularities cost them the last two presidential races,’ said David Cobb. ‘The major media are also ignoring the topic, despite overwhelming evidence, including the Conyers Commission’s findings, the conviction of two Republican election officials in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, for their role in tampering with the 2004 recount, and a 2007 Ohio study finding ‘critical security failures’ pervaded the state’s election system in 2004.’

If you are concerned about voter intimidation and/or disenfranchisement in your area, I encourage you to contact your local congressional representatives, senators, and state political officials (Governor, Lt. Governor, and others). Spread the word among your friends and encourage them to write your local representatives, as well. Click HERE to locate the contact information for your congressional representative.

And, of course, be sure to register and vote. One of the reasons that election tampering has been so effective in our last two elections is that the number of votes that separated the two major party candidates was so small that the manipulation of the vote in a just a few key precincts was enough to insure one party’s success and the other’s loss.

The greater the number of votes the greater the likelihood of a wider and more decisive margin of victory, even in swing states; and wider margins are more difficult to manipulate.

For information on how and where to register to vote, click on the image below:

Posted by Ajuan Mance