If the Black Vote in Florida had been counted, or if the blacks would have been allowed to vote, Mr. Gore would have won!
The following excerpts of prominent Afro-Americans was published in The New York TimesSunday, December 17, 2000, OP-ED, P. 17
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Can Bush Mend His Party's Rift With Black America?
As president, George W. Bush will have to mend many rifts, but none, perhaps, as wide as the divide between the Republican Party and African-Americans. Nine out of 10 black voters cast ballots for Al Gore. Many living in Florida felt their votes didn't count.
The United States Commission on Civil Rights plans to investigate complaints about voting irregularities there, and perhaps in other states, to determine whether rights were violated on Election Day.
Last July, in a campaign speech before the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Mr. Bush said, "The party of Lincoln has not always carried the mantle of Lincoln" and pledged, "Strong civil rights enforcement will be a cornerstone of my administration."
With those words in mind, we asked for suggestions about how President-elect Bush can bridge the gap between Afican-Americans and his party
*Jesse Jackson*, president, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition.
"President-elect Bush has promised to be president of all the people — a welcome sentiment,especially to frican-Americans, who in past Republican administrations have experienced a closed White House.
Having lost the national popular vote — and the black vote by nine to one — he must recognize that the gap between African- Americans and his party is grounded not in malice but in historical neglect and oppression. I believe that the way to inclusion is not through symbolism, but by expanding opportunities through expanded civil rights."
"Finally, this election has generated deep emotions, even alienation, as a result of what may be the denial of voting rights, not just in Florida, but throughout the nation. Mr. Bush should support the United States Commission on Civil Rights in its hearings across Florida; this is a credible, bipartisan commission that can find out what went wrong there, and the findings could have broad national applications. Mr. Bush must acknowledge that the Voting Rights Act needs to be renewed and expanded.
In sum, George Bush must help rekindle the flame of hope — flickering weakly at this moment — in democracy for all, so that his own dream of binding the wounds of the nation may be achieved."
*David A. Bositis*, senior analyst, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.
In the short term, there is nothing George W. Bush can do to reconcile with African- Americans. They rejected the Bush candidacy in a resounding manner, and the events in Florida since Nov. 7 have convinced them THAT THE ELECTION WAS WON BECAUSE BLACK VOTES WERE NOT COUNTED."
*Faye M. Anderson*, former vice chairman, Republican National Committee's New Majority Council.
What must Mr. Bush do to bridge the racial divide? At the very least, he must resist the temptation to attribute his dismal showing among black voters to alleged Democratic "race-baiting."
"Mr. Bush should not think that appointing black cabinet members, regardless of their beliefs, will help. A position that is anathema to blacks will be no less so if articulated by Colin Powell or Condoleezza Rice."
"Since the Reagan administration, Republicans have bypassed black leaders in favor of their handpicked "independent thinkers," who are distrusted by black voters. Like it or not, the Congressional Black Caucus and heads of civil rights and labor groups are trusted by black voters. Republicans should try talking to them."
*Julian Bond*, chairman, N.A.A.C.P.
In his speech to the nation Wednesday night, George W. Bush spoke of the "details" in the differences between the two parties. In fact, there were huge differences during the campaign — and in its aftermath, there is a chad-chasm.
To bridge this chasm, the new administration must immediately acknowledge the well-documented charges of minority voter suppression in Florida and elsewhere, investigate them, and pursue civil or criminal action where appropriate.
Mr. Bush should name a commission, with a membership that includes some of those who have worked for decades to ensure that every citizen's vote can be cast and counted, to recommend ways to end suppression of votes and intimidation and exclusion of voters
His highest-ranking Justice Department appointees must have demonstrated a commitment to fairness."
*Donna L. Franklin*, author of "What's Love Got To Do with It?:Understanding and Healing the Rift Between Black Men and Women."
Photo opportunities with African-Americans are simply not enough. So how to start? Under Mr. Bush's leadership, Texas has led this country in executions — and a disproportionate number of those executed were
African-Americans. The capital punishment system in states throughout the country is plagued with legal incompetence, unscrupulous trial tactics and faulty evidence. And in the federal criminal-justice system, racial and
geographic differences have been found to play a role in sentencing. Mr. Bush should impose a moratorium on the death penalty pending a thorough review of the system.
*Alvin F. Poussaint*, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and coauthor of ``Lay My Burden Done: Unraveling Black Suicide and the Mental Health Crisis Among African Americans."
Like many African-Americans, I am angry and worried. Angry because voting irregularities in Florida discounted thousands of black votes that might have elected the candidate who embodies our aspirations. Worried because Mr. Bush may now feel disinclined to support the interests of a group that did not support him.
African-Americans in Florida turned out in record numbers to exercise a right achieved after considerable struggle by blacks and whites working together. It would be tragic for our democracy if this election caused black citizens to lose faith in the system."
Mr. Bush could begin to gain our trust by supporting the investigation of disenfranchisement of black voters in Florida and other states and work with the commission to identify defects in the system that impair the right
of any citizen's vote to count and to work toward correcting that."
*Debra Dickerson*, a fellow at the New America Foundation and author of ``An American Story.''
"As president, Mr. Bush should order the systematic review and overhaul of our nation's voting infrastructure.
He needn't aver that racism scuttled Florida's black vote. He needn't promise to put a new and improved VoteMeister 10.0 in every precinct. He must simply take the claims seriously, research them thoroughly, put the facts before America and demand that it care.
Either that or his minions had better spend the next four years practicing astealth suppression of the black vote. We always knew it was still happening. Now the whole world does, too.
*Jamala McFadden*, president, Black Law Students Alliance,University of Michigan Law School.
Mr. Bush must immediately address all issues of voter disenfranchisement including voter intimidation and substandard ballot machinery found especially in poor and African-American communities.
He should also work increase the number of African Americans on the federal bench. An appropriate start would be to reconsider recent nominees denied confirmation under a bitterly divided Congress. And when he considers candidates for the Supreme Court, he should nominate candidates on the basis of judicial experience and integrity, not
political affiliation.
And with affirmative action programs under attack, Mr. Bush must embrace affirmative "access," which tries to remedy past and present discrimination beginning with primary education.
Mr. Bush should also enact aggressive hate-crimes legislation. As an act of good faith, he could initiate such a law before ending his tenure as Governor of Texas. At the same time, he should work to eradicate racial profiling and the inequities in the criminal justice system's prosecution
and sentencing practices. |
