Mississippi Election Row Sees Race Roles Reversed

[AKA_Monet]

Originally Posted by DeltAlum

Maybe we should add, "And there never was," but we can't revise history.

C'mon, MS is NOTORIOUS for voter fraud and tampering over 30-40 years ago... That is WHY Eldridge Cleaver and the three young voter registrars were killed... It is a very ugly and negative chapter in history.

The only reason I know is because it was drilled in my head as a child by my parents. Whether that makes it right or wrong, who knows? But my husband's parents gave the middle name of "Eldridge" to my husband and "Cleaver" to his brother's middle name (dunno if that sounds right)?

Originally Posted by Kevin

I was just wondering whether there's stuffing going on for both sides?

The media certainly doesn't help the situation when they rove around battleground states giving air time and credence to the members of the loosing party who have stories about the police impeding their access to vote, etc. Of course, those stories may be on the up and up. I have no idea as I've never been a repressed minority (unless you count being a Catholic in Oklahoma).

In the past, there was stuffing throughout the South before the Voting Rights Act... That is why President Lyndon Johnson signed the Act into law.

Now, I wouldn't know if there is stuffing boxes in MS in one racial group vs. another. There may be stuffing in that one county, Noxubee unfortunately done by AfAms, who may be thinking that it is okay to turn the tables as retribution. But, wrong is wrong. Vote fraud is overall foul.

I suppose that factor might validate the feelings of many who would hope that this is a lawful vs. unlawful fight rather than a political, or worse, racial one. I fear the later to be the case, however.

Kevin, I really don't think so, if we were truly discussing completely disenfranchised people, that would be one thing. It is a totally different situation from the viewpoint of representation "by the people, for the people".

MS is dead last on several measures - education, health and economic poverty. I think Toyota is leaving and Boeing is avoiding them... There is very little economic success in that state. It is a VERY sad state of affairs. Places like Darfur in the Sudan and Rwanda combined have better economies. That reflects very poorly on the US.

But after Hurricane Katrina, MS, got SOME FEMA assistance... But back to pre-Katrina levels--no.

It could get very interesting down there if the closed primary forced most Republicans to switch tickets, thus watering down the Democrat base. I think in the long run, this more-less exposes the weaknesses of the closed primary system and how it tends to disenfranchise minority-party voters.

If I didn't know better, I'd swear that the above is an impression of another poster on this forum.

The issue I think in MS is most AfAms down there do not trust the Republican party. IMHO, that is the problem with the South verses the West Coast, they are still so segregated that people fail to communicate. Confrontation and shouting matches probably don't occur because of the avoidance. So no one ever knows what is really going on if they choose to not speak or fail to communicate.

Whereas, the Caucasian folks have yet to deal with their own issues.

IMHO there sorely needs some "Redemption conferences" to move beyond the hatred.

PM me to know who you think it is.

[LaneSig]

Originally Posted by AKA_Monet

C'mon, MS is NOTORIOUS for voter fraud and tampering over 30-40 years ago... That is WHY Eldridge Cleaver and the three young voter registrars were killed... It is a very ugly and negative chapter in history.

The only reason I know is because it was drilled in my head as a child by my parents. Whether that makes it right or wrong, who knows? But my husband's parents gave the middle name of "Eldridge" to my husband and "Cleaver" to his brother's middle name (dunno if that sounds right)?

Just a historical point: Eldridge Cleaver was not killed due to racial problems in Mississippi. He died in 1998.

I think you meant Medger Evers. He was one of the leaders of the NAACP in Jackson, MS. He was murdered arriving home after a meeting. It is the case that the movie "Ghosts of Mississippi" covered.

[AKA_Monet]

Originally Posted by LaneSig

Just a historical point: Eldridge Cleaver was not killed due to racial problems in Mississippi. He died in 1998.

I think you meant Medger Evers. He was one of the leaders of the NAACP in Jackson, MS. He was murdered arriving home after a meeting. It is the case that the movie "Ghosts of Mississippi" covered.

Thank you sweetheart. My sometimer's is acting up...

[DeltAlum]

Originally Posted by AKA_Monet

C'mon, MS is NOTORIOUS for voter fraud and tampering over 30-40 years ago... That is WHY Eldridge Cleaver and the three young voter registrars were killed... It is a very ugly and negative chapter in history.

Right. I may not have made myself clear. My thought was that there never was a reason to stuff a ballot box -- not that it never happened.

I was in high school and college when what we call the Civil Rights Movement began and remember much (not all) of what was going on then.

"Ugly" is not strong enough to describe what went on, but I don't have a better word.

[kafromTN]

Originally Posted by AKA_Monet

MS is dead last on several measures - education, health and economic poverty. I think Toyota is leaving and Boeing is avoiding them... There is very little economic success in that state. It is a VERY sad state of affairs. Places like Darfur in the Sudan and Rwanda combined have better economies. That reflects very poorly on the US.

Actually Toyota is building a new $1.3 billion plant in MS along Corridor X (future I-22), the economic conditions in MS have been steadily improving ever since casinos have been allowed.


I do agree there are some areas that are behind economically the rest of the U.S. I by no means would or even could compare it to Darfur. True in the MS delta the average family may not have air conditioning, televisions, cable or late model cars, but they are far better off economically than Darfur. Way more people die in Darfur due to poor living conditions than in MS, I think it is a an extreme stretch to even compare the two since "poverty" is relative.

[AKA_Monet]

Originally Posted by kafromTN

Actually Toyota is building a new $1.3 billion plant in MS along Corridor X (future I-22), the economic conditions in MS have been steadily improving ever since casinos have been allowed.

Thanks for the information about Toyota. That is good. I also know that casino monies do not often translate to infrastructure improvements and increased social programs to decrease poverty, which has been a problem for MS for a very long time.

Originally Posted by kafromTN

I do agree there are some areas that are behind economically the rest of the U.S. I by no means would or even could compare it to Darfur. True in the MS delta the average family may not have air conditioning, televisions, cable or late model cars, but they are far better off economically than Darfur. Way more people die in Darfur due to poor living conditions than in MS, I think it is a an extreme stretch to even compare the two since "poverty" is relative.

Have you ever heard about exaggeration to hone in on points? The fact is, WE--ALL OF US--need to right by OUR citizens in poorer states than California and New York. And I think Mississippi and Louisiana has been suffering too long without assistance that they sorely deserve.

What is at stake here is not more poverty... What is at stake is succession, again.

[Kevin]

What kind of help do these people "deserve"?

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by Kevin

What kind of help do these people "deserve"?

Ironically, this is one of those points that kind of goes against your general railing against people who don't help themselves, isn't it?

I mean, this is somewhat "backwoods" in that there aren't opportunities or services available nearby, and they lack any sort of money so moving doesn't really seem like a possibility either.

I generally dislike the term "deserve" myself, but here I feel like aid could really have a much more explicit goal of integrating these people into the "city" (or town, really) workforce and moving them from the dregs of civilization.

[Kevin]

Aside from a decent public education (which theoretically should be ensured if NCLB standards are enforced in MS), I'm not sure what you could possibly mean? I'm not familiar with the educational system in rural Mississippi, but I'm sure NCLB standards will help those systems to reform.

Any other reform decisions ought to remain local. If these folks choose to continue to live in poverty and poor conditions, that's on them. Perhaps that's a familiar existence which they enjoy? If they want more, there are plenty of unskilled labor jobs available, you know, those jobs Americans won't do?

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Aside from a decent public education (which theoretically should be ensured if NCLB standards are enforced in MS), I'm not sure what you could possibly mean? I'm not familiar with the educational system in rural Mississippi, but I'm sure NCLB standards will help those systems to reform.

Any other reform decisions ought to remain local. If these folks choose to continue to live in poverty and poor conditions, that's on them. Perhaps that's a familiar existence which they enjoy? If they want more, there are plenty of unskilled labor jobs available, you know, those jobs Americans won't do?

Kevin, I really don't understand the point of this post in relation to your previous post. I don't think anyone insinuated 'forcing' aid on anyone, and I'm not sure we can make any assumption you've made here in discussing this topic.

Are you truly positing that all you need to survive anywhere in America is a high school education that meets the government's standards as set forth in NCLB?

[LaneSig]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Aside from a decent public education (which theoretically should be ensured if NCLB standards are enforced in MS), I'm not sure what you could possibly mean? I'm not familiar with the educational system in rural Mississippi, but I'm sure NCLB standards will help those systems to reform.
Any other reform decisions ought to remain local. If these folks choose to continue to live in poverty and poor conditions, that's on them. Perhaps that's a familiar existence which they enjoy? If they want more, there are plenty of unskilled labor jobs available, you know, those jobs Americans won't do?

They will only help if the fed government provided enough adequate funds to finance the programs. They didn't here in Texas and I doubt they did in Mississippi.