The Tampa Vote - Dispatches from the Gound (eyewitness account)

[donsu]

http://www.counterpunch.com/

-snip-
(this is incident number One)

Gladys* is our first voter challenge of the day. An ex-felon whose civil rights have been restored, under Florida law she is legally entitled to vote a regular ballot. She is furious and crying when Alex* and I walk up.

Here,s her story: Ancient white-haired Anglo poll workers have not simply turned Gladys back. Rather, to reinforce their oppression, they have called the Elections Board in Tallahassee and put Gladys on the phone. The voice on the other end has threatened that if she votes, "It might even be a criminal act.

Alex*, my volunteer lawyer partner, is a born and bred southerner like me. Like Gladys, I am black; Alex is not. He lives in Europe and the US and has flown in from Rome,* as I have from Texas, to personally help save votes of Americans like Gladys.

Together, Gladys and Alex wrench a provisional ballot from the naysayers. Transformed by this voting victory, she throws her arms around us. "I already helped 200 people early vote, she explains, flicking away huge tears of relief. "I wasn,t about to go out like that.

Twelve hours later, Gladys is back. She double parks, hustles her carload of passengers up the sidewalk, and shoves them past the scowling white male sentry seconds before he bolts the door to the polling place.
-snip-
(you should read all of it)
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let the REVOLUTION flow ...................
let it become a tidal wave .................
let our surfers drive them down the wave and into prison.

[noiretextatique]

1. thanks

:grr: