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The Michigan Socialist | News |
Michigan News
'This was no glitch'
African
Americans challenge Mich. Democratic Caucus results
By L. MEYERS
The Michigan Socialist
 WHEN
THE FIVE candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination
emerged from the Feb. 7 Michigan caucuses, it was thought that it
would be known as little more than a footnote.
However, a coalition of community and political
organizations in Detroit have launched a lawsuit challenging the
results, saying that the Michigan Democratic Party “trampled on the
voting rights of African Americans.”
The lawsuit, brought by the Michigan Democratic
Black Caucus, the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus, the Detroit
Chapter of the NAACP and the Detroit City Council, contends that
Black voters in Detroit, Flint and other Michigan cities were
systematically disenfranchised and denied their right to vote.
“For Detroit, the only difference between Florida
in 2000 and Michigan in 2004 is the spelling of the state names and
the weather,” said the Rev. Horace Sheffield III, spokesperson for
the coalition.
“African Americans were stripped bare of our right
to vote by those who claim to be our friends.”
According to Sheffield, several caucus sites in
Detroit were moved or closed on the day of the caucus.
In Benton Harbor, Flint, Saginaw and other cities,
polling sites were listed incorrectly or moved at the last minute.
The result was that thousands of voters were
forced to wander aimlessly throughout the day, either on foot, in
their cars or by taxicab, trying desperately to find where they were
supposed to vote.
“Too many have been beaten, jailed and killed for
this most precious right to vote,” said Sheffield. “We will not roll
over. This was no glitch.”
Meanwhile, the leading figures of the Michigan
Democratic Party have already begun to line up to defend the caucus
results and dismiss the demands of African-American voters.
“No voters were disenfranchised in the city of
Detroit,” said Mark Brewer, Executive Chair of the MDP and the
person responsible for organizing the caucus.
Melvin Butch Hollowell, Chair of the MDP,
attempted to pass the buck: “The delegation selection process [i.e.,
the Feb. 7 caucus — LM] was the responsibility of Mark
Brewer.”
Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm attempted to
spin the story: “The bottom line is we had the second highest
turnout in history.”
Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, on the other hand,
was blunt in his reply. He was quoted in the Detroit News,
calling the coalition’s challenge “overboard and crap.”
At least one of them is being honest about the
MDP’s view.
THE 2000 ELECTION confirmed in striking and
terrific detail the contention that Socialists have asserted for
decades: even the most “liberal” section of the capitalist class, or
its agents, cannot and will not defend basic democratic rights.
When democratic-minded people in Florida and
across the country mobilized to counter the actions of the
Republican Party aimed at shutting down the manual recount of votes,
the Democrats moved to defend their partners in crime and stop, or
minimize, the protests.
When Jesse Jackson sought to organize protests
against the developing Republican coup, the Democratic National
Committee united with the Republicans and the capitalists, forcing
him to call off the events.
When members of the Congressional Black Caucus and
Congressional Progressive Caucus challenged the validity of
Florida’s Electoral Votes in January 2001, not one Democratic
Senator — including then-vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman,
then-Senate president Al Gore, or the two current front-runners for
the 2004 nomination, John Kerry and John Edwards — stood up to
defend the democratic rights of African Americans.
Honestly, should we expect the Michigan Democrats
to act any differently than their national leadership? The answer,
of course, is no.
African American voters across Michigan are right
to be angry and frustrated by the callous indifference shown by
Michigan Democratic Party leaders.
But anger and frustration has only so much value.
Unless broader lessons are drawn from this experience, it is likely
the situation will not change fundamentally.
The Socialist Party of Michigan will be fielding
candidates in the November 2004 election for local and statewide
offices.
We will be challenging both major parties,
standing up for the rights and interests of the most exploited and
oppressed in this society — people of color, women, gays and
lesbians, etc.
The cornerstone of our platform will be winning
the battle for democratic rights and a really democratic society.
Concretely, that means we will be fighting for the
rights of the people of Detroit and the rest of Michigan, starting
with the right to vote.
We encourage all readers of the Michigan
Socialist to get involved in this campaign.
You can help with circulating petitions to get the
SPMI on the ballot; you can help by joining the Party and actively
promoting a Socialist alternative to the un-Democrats.
Most importantly, do not let someone else
“represent” you, especially if they do not appear to care about your
rights.
Represent yourself! Join the Socialist Party and
make it your own. |
