On Friday the Washington Post posted a detailed article showing the timeline and events surrounding the dismissal by the Justice Department of the 2008 New Black Panthers voter intimidation case. You can watch the video of the actual incident at BigGovernment.com.
I don't know how many people did not vote in Philadelphia because they were intimidated by the New Black Panthers in paramilitary uniforms carrying billy clubs. I do know that as your basic little old lady, I would have been intimidated by their presence. I understand that in the past, voting rights for all races have not been equally enforced, but that is no excuse for refusing to enforce them equally now. It is good to see the Washington Post finally cover this story.
The article at the Washington Post details the progress of the case through the Justice Department and states:
"In the months after the case ended, tensions persisted. A new supervisor, Julie Fernandes, arrived to oversee the voting section, and Coates testified that she told attorneys at a September 2009 lunch that the Obama administration was interested in filing cases - under a key voting rights section - only on behalf of minorities."
This is no way to run a government. Civil rights laws apply to all people in America--whether they are part of a minority or part of a majority. Hopefully the Justice Department will remember that in the future.
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