This topic is locked, no replies allowed. Inaccurate or out-of-date info may be present.

  • Print

Topic: ACLU Challenges Illegal Disfranchisement Of American Indian Voters In SD  (Read 2094 times)

walksalone11

    US flag
    View Profile
  • Silver Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 1512 (since 2009)
  • Thanked: 1x
Subject: [stop-polabuse] Fwd: ACLU Challenges Illegal Disfranchisement
Of American Indian Voters In South Dakota
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 2010 23:39:08 -0800
From: Michael Novick <antiracistaction_ la@yahoo. com>
To: stop-polabuse@ yahoogroups. com

>
>"Felony disfranchisement laws in South Dakota
>have a disproportionate impact on American
>Indians, who represent the majority of those
>convicted of felonies at the federal level"
>
>=========== ========= ========= ========= ========= ========
>http://www.aclu. org/racial- justice-voting- rights/aclu- challenges- illegal-disfranc hisement- american- indian-voters- south-d <http://www.aclu. org/racial- justice-voting- rights/aclu- challenges- illegal-disfranc hisement- american- indian-voters- south-d>
>
>ACLU Challenges Illegal Disfranchisement Of
>American Indian Voters In South Dakota
>
>February 8, 2010
>
>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org <mailto:media% 40aclu.org>
>
>SIOUX FALLS, SD ­ The American Civil Liberties
>Union filed an amended class action lawsuit in
>federal court today to restore the voting rights
>of American Indians who were illegally
>disfranchised in the 2008 presidential election.
>The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court
>for the Western District of South Dakota on
>behalf of Kim Colhoff, Eileen Janis and others,
>who attempted to vote in the election but were
>improperly removed from the voter rolls due to
>felony convictions. Because state law only
>disfranchises individuals sentenced to prison
>and both women were just sentenced to probation,
>election officials unlawfully took away their voting rights.
>"Felony disfranchisement laws in South Dakota
>have a disproportionate impact on American
>Indians, who represent the majority of those
>convicted of felonies at the federal level,"
>said Robert Doody, Executive Director of the
>ACLU, South Dakota Chapter. "Worse still, it's
>clear that confusion regarding the South Dakota
>felony disfranchisement laws has resulted in
>legitimate voters, even those who haven't been
>incarcerated for felony convictions, being
>purged from the rolls or denied the ability to
>register to vote or cast their ballots."
>
>The lawsuit charges that South Dakota officials'
>illegal disfranchisement of individuals with
>felony convictions has had a disproportionate
>and negative impact on American Indian voters
>who are overly represented in South Dakota's
>criminal justice system. The lawsuit also
>contends that the removal of individuals' names
>from the state and county voter registration
>lists based on felony convictions for which they
>were sentenced only to probation violates their
>rights to equal protection and due process under
>the federal and state constitutions, the Help
>America Vote Act, the National Voter
>Registration Act and Sections 2 and 5 of the
>Voting Rights Act. The lawsuit names Secretary
>of State Chris Nelson, Shannon County Auditor
>Sue Ganje and members of the state board of elections as defendants.
>
>The ACLU originally filed the lawsuit in
>February 2009 on behalf of Colhoff and Janis.
>The amended lawsuit filed today represents a
>class of individuals in South Dakota with felony
>convictions who were denied the right to vote
>despite the fact that they were never incarcerated.
>
>Colhoff and Janis, both residents of Pine Ridge,
>South Dakota, registered to vote for the first
>time in 1974 and 1984, respectively, and
>remained on the voter rolls until early 2008,
>after they were each convicted of a felony
>offense and sentenced to five years probation
>but no jail time. Despite the fact that South
>Dakota only disfranchises those sentenced to
>prison, Colhoff and Janis were removed from the
>voter rolls without any notice and denied the
>right to vote at their polling places when they
>attempted to vote in the 2008 presidential
>election. In front of several other voters,
>election officials refused to allow Janis to
>cast either a regular or provisional ballot.
>
>"I will never get the chance to go back and make
>my voice heard," said Janis. "It deeply disturbs
>me that my right to vote was taken away because
>of administrative incompetence. No one should be
>denied a ballot just because election workers
>don't understand the rules. It's really hard not
>feeling like a second-class citizen when one of
>my most fundamental rights has been stolen from me."
>
>"What happened to our clients represents the
>tragedy that occurs when election officials do
>not know how to administer the law," said Nancy
>Abudu, senior staff attorney with the ACLU
>Voting Rights Project. "Not only did election
>administrators take away their constitutional
>rights, but they robbed them of the opportunity
>to participate in this historic election."
>
>Attorneys on this case are Abudu, Bryan Sells
>and Laughlin McDonald of the ACLU Voting Rights
>Project; Doody of the ACLU, South Dakota
>Chapter; and cooperating attorney Patrick Duffy.
>
>A copy of today's proposed second amended
>complaint in Janis v. Nelson is available at:
>www.aclu.org/ racial-justice- voting-rights/ janis-v-nelson- second-amended- complaint- pending-court- approval- requesti
>
>An ACLU report providing a historical overview
>of systemic discrimination against American
>Indians, limiting their ability to participate
>in local, state and national elections, can be
>found at: www.aclu.org/ votingrights/ minority/ 41203pub20090930 .html
>
>More information about the ACLU Voting Rights
>Project is available at: www.votingrights. org

arrwyn

    US flag
    View Profile
  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 9 (since 2009)
  • Thanked: 0x
Re: ACLU Challenges Illegal Disfranchisement Of American Indian Voters In SD
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2010, 12:02:01 pm »
It's about damned time!  I often wondered if the ACLU ever defends the rights of Indians.  I remember a case back in the early 90s when an Indian from Arizona was denied the right to run for office because he was ILLEGALLY jailed for protesting!  Yet the mayor of Washington, DC ran for office FROM his jail cell!

I swear the United States has a "hidden agenda" to eliminate the Indians, still.  I was shocked when I first learned that Reservation American Indians were not considered American citizens until the 70's when John Kennedy gave them citizenship status.  NINETEEN seventies!  That outrageous.  There wouldn't be an America if it weren't for the indiginous people welcoming the Europeans here.  Our own constitution is based on the Iroquois constitution!  This country needs a wake up call.  I'm glad to see that the ACLU if finally doing something they should have been doing from the beginning.

Thanks for posting this.

walksalone11

    US flag
    View Profile
  • Silver Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 1512 (since 2009)
  • Thanked: 1x
Re: ACLU Challenges Illegal Disfranchisement Of American Indian Voters In SD
« Reply #2 on: February 21, 2010, 05:29:14 pm »
PFFTTT!!!!....screw citizenship. It wasn't until the later half of 1978 that we were allowed religious freedom......"Section 1
On and after August 11, 1978, it shall be the policy of the
United States to protect and preserve for American Indians
their inherent right of freedom to believe, express, and
exercise the traditional religions of the American Indian,
Eskimo, Aleut, and Native Hawaiians, including but not
limited to access to sites, use and possession of sacred
objects, and the freedom to worship through ceremonials
and traditional rites."
....from the American Indian Religious Freedoms Act.

"American" Indian is their term......I refuse to agree that I am an "American" any thing!!!

angel379227

    US flag
    View Profile
  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 267 (since 2010)
  • Thanked: 0x
Re: ACLU Challenges Illegal Disfranchisement Of American Indian Voters In SD
« Reply #3 on: February 21, 2010, 07:41:27 pm »
"American" Indian is their term......I refuse to agree that I am an "American" any thing!!!

Then may I suggest you gtfo? Hey I'm just as ashamed of American history as you are, but that's not gonna change the fact that you live in USA and therefore are an American citizen. Your folks aren't special just because we stole your land and impregnated all your women. It's a dog-eat-dog world, sir, and those that have trouble digesting are the most likely to be spewed back out.
Abash'd the Devil stood, and he felt how awful goodness is

walksalone11

    US flag
    View Profile
  • Silver Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 1512 (since 2009)
  • Thanked: 1x
Re: ACLU Challenges Illegal Disfranchisement Of American Indian Voters In SD
« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2010, 07:18:18 am »
You can suggest any thing you wish.
I would suggest you educate yourself on the subjects you wish to speak on and stop looking so foolish trying to be an authority.
'course it is always interesting to note that the ones who scream the loudest generally have the least understanding of the subject they are making so much racket about.

Ever hear of tribal sovereignty?

jaba187

    US flag
    View Profile
  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 60 (since 2009)
  • Thanked: 1x
Re: ACLU Challenges Illegal Disfranchisement Of American Indian Voters In SD
« Reply #5 on: February 22, 2010, 11:02:13 am »
"American" Indian is their term......I refuse to agree that I am an "American" any thing!!!

Then may I suggest you gtfo? Hey I'm just as ashamed of American history as you are, but that's not gonna change the fact that you live in USA and therefore are an American citizen. Your folks aren't special just because we stole your land and impregnated all your women. It's a dog-eat-dog world, sir, and those that have trouble digesting are the most likely to be spewed back out.

Agree

  • Print
 

Related Topics

  Subject / Started by Replies Last post
1 Replies
1612 Views
Last post November 29, 2009, 08:31:32 pm
by mlbevins
7 Replies
1158 Views
Last post May 21, 2011, 08:24:12 am
by dreamongirl
3 Replies
743 Views
Last post November 15, 2011, 08:07:37 am
by gaylasue
58 Replies
10549 Views
Last post April 24, 2012, 05:08:34 pm
by falcon9
0 Replies
746 Views
Last post December 26, 2012, 01:02:06 pm
by tuscarorarain