Attempt to suppress minority voters began before election in Florida
James Simpson
GOP 'hate tour' remarks attacked
By JULIE HAUSERMAN
© St. Petersburg Times, published June 23, 2000
TALLAHASSEE -- A prominent African-American minister blasted the Florida
Republican Party this week, accusing its chairman of making "racist
statements" and showing "unparalleled insensitivity" toward black people.
The Rev. Ernest Ferrell, who is head of the 40,000-member Florida State
Primitive Baptist Convention, says that Republican Party Chairman Al
Cardenas should not have used the term "hate tour" to describe a new
statewide voter drive to bring more women and minorities to the polls.
The "Save Florida: Arrive with Five" voter drive is being led by Rep. Tony
Hill and Sen. Kendrick Meek, two black Democrats who held a sit-in at the
governor's office this spring to protest a Republican affirmative action
overhaul. It's an effort to get people to turn out and vote with five others
Nov. 7.
"Mr. Cardenas' characterization of a plan to promote voter participation
among minorities and women as a "hate tour' is a slap in the face to these
groups," Ferrell wrote in a sharply worded letter to Gov. Jeb Bush on
Tuesday.
Cardenas called the voter drive a "hate tour" in a news release put out by
the Republican Party of Florida on Monday, a day when many African-Americans
hold celebrations marking the end of slavery in the United States.
"Mr. Cardenas' statement shows an unparalleled insensitivity and,
unfortunately, that the fire of misunderstanding and hatred still rages on,"
wrote Ferrell, who also is the head of the Tallahassee Urban League. "Hate,
Governor Bush, is the kind of thing that can lead to bombing of Florida A&M
University. Hate led to the dragging death of James Byrd Jr. . . . Today, I
call on you and the Republican Party of Florida to rebuke the hateful and
racist statements of Chairman Cardenas."
Bush spokeswoman Elizabeth Hirst would not comment.
Jamie Wilson, the Florida Republican Party's executive director, issued a
typed news release that avoided the issue altogether.
"The Save Florida Tour is a line up of the who's who of liberal causes . . .
a transparent attempt to mask an extreme-liberal Democratic agenda. That is
why they should come forward immediately to disclose the source of the Save
Florida funds."
"That statement doesn't even address the hate-speech by Al Cardenas," said
Tony Welch, spokesman for the Florida Democratic Party.
Meek said the voter drive is financed by the Coalition of Conscience, a
group that sponsored a March 7 civil rights march that drew 10,000
protesters to Tallahassee. It includes groups such as People for the
American Way and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People, said Meek, who was on the road talking to voters Thursday.
"Basically, we're doing "get out the vote' efforts, which people have done
for umpteen years," Meek said from Gainesville. "We're not telling them who
to vote for -- just get out and vote."
"I know one thing: All Republicans don't feel the way Mr. Cardenas feels,"
he said.
Cardenas could be reached for comment.
"I don't understand how he could call this some kind of hate group," Ferrell
said.
The dispute comes at a time when both major political parties are working to
woo African-American voters. Florida Democrats want to hold onto their
traditional base of minority voters. They have been trying to portray Bush
as insensitive to blacks by attacking his "One Florida" initiative, which
overhauls the state's affirmative action policies.
HARD_WIRED_
James Simpson <js...@flash.net> wrote in message
news:IsF_5.9368$bw.8...@news.flash.net...
William D. Allen Sr.
Florida blacks! But there is objective proof of black illiteracy in Florida.
Could that be the reason for black voting "disenfranchisement"; not being
able to read the ballot nor follow voting booth instructions?
Illiteracy is a problem Jesse Jackson's Monochrome Coalition could solve to
really help blacks, and not just for voting! But would it keep him on
network television?
WDA
end
James Simpson <js...@flash.net> wrote in message
news:IsF_5.9368$bw.8...@news.flash.net...
John S. Dyson
jonv...@justice.com (Jon) writes:
> HARD_WIRED_ <hard_...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Puppet!
>
> Do you mean clown face Katherine Harris? I couldn't agree more.
>
Yep, she was a puppet with respect to the constitution, federal law and
state law. The Dems tend to ignore such documents.
John