Nov. 5, 2002 could be payback time
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While
looking through the Harris County Democratic Party’s 2002 Candidates Guide,
it occurred to me that everyone who have ever been unfortunate enough to be
caught up in the criminal justice system, should be rubbing their collective
hands together in anticipating of going to the polls on Nov. 5, 2002 to vote
against the cold hearted, racist judges that are campaigning for reelection.
Incidentally, we just happened to find the HCDP’s tab-sized newspaper on
several of our 5,000 colorful racks that are located in hospitals, post
offices, City Halls and Court Houses throughout five major Texas cities.
HCDP’s guide is providing some very valuable information, including the fact
that the early voting dates are Oct. 19-Nov. 1, therefore we certainly don’t
mind them utilizing one of the tiers on AAN&I’s three-tiered racks.
Especially since they didn’t put them on top of Texas’ widest circulated
newspaper with a Black perspective as many of the less respectful
publication’s distributors, that wantonly commandeer our space without
bothering to ask permission. The guilty publishers know who they are,
because they often find their publication neatly stacked to the side
whenever they come back to replenish their papers. By the way, if any
publisher need shelf-space, they are welcome to call us. I am always looking
for mutually beneficial business relationships.
Nevertheless, that has nothing to do with why ex-felons (whose right to vote
was reinstated by Rep. Harold V. Dutton, Jr.’s HB 1001) or their family and
love ones should be happily planning to invade the polls in record numbers
to cast their vote against the judges of their choosing. You might say it’s
pay back time for the seemingly untouchable judges who autonomously run
their courtrooms like slave plantations. On the other hand, many of the
qualified minority ex-felons could very well be like far too many Black
voters who don’t have a clue which judge they should target for term
limiting.
We would welcome a “hit list” from the Black lawyer group, or any other
organization that truly wants to inform the public. If you have information
(good or bad), about any of the judges on the ballot, please send it to us
SOP. The coalition that includes the New Black Panther Party and NBUF,
established a court watchers group. Surely a compiled list that will help
citizens vote intelligently is forthcoming. Meanwhile, I have had the
pleasure of meeting Sandra Peake and Wayne Slaughter, up close and
personal. I must admit, however, that we aren’t privy to as much
information as we should have to inform our readers which judge they should
vote against. Yes, Peake, who is running for the 315th District Court and
Slaughter, who covets 209th District Court, are Black.
We also know Atty. Grant Hardeway, Sr., through the Acres Home Citizens
Chamber of Commerce. He is vying for State District Court 182. No, we’re not
saying that putting a Black face in a high place is a remedy, but it is good
to see that there are six African-American candidates. Other than Peake and
Hardeway there are: Allette B. Williams (State District Court 247); Denise
Crawford (14th Court of Appeals), Lydia Clay-Jackson (248th District Court)
and Melvin Houston, who will run for Harris County Judge. We have no
information on Black Republicans running for judge although we have another
edition before early voting ends and the Nov. 5 election begins.
In a best case scenario, African- American candidates running for public
office still have time to spend a few of their campaign dollars to advertise
in Black newspapers. It would be sad if African-American Democrats take it
for granted that Black voters will automatically vote for them, even if they
don’t advertise in their own media, since it has become obvious that the
Republican Party is actively going after the Black vote. And one doesn’t
have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that a controlled circulation of
over 300,000 free copies of AAN&I ideally end up in the hands of a projected
2 million readers.
Need we mention, that advertising in AAN&I also connects candidates with the
hottest web sites in cyberspace (www.aframnews.com)
that reaches at least 10 million voters? Meanwhile, we see no logical reason
why every registered Black voter that has complained about Texas’ double
standard criminal justice system won’t show up at the polls on Nov. 5, 2002
and exact some pay back from mean- spirited judges, since we should be at
the polls trying to elect Texas’ first minority governor and U. S. Senator,
as well as other candidates of their choice anyway. |
