Chicano Channel Magazine: Justice Department Defends Blacks/Chicanos Again
Mr. O’s Justice Department today blocked Texas’ new voter identification law, saying it was done primarily to negatively affect the Chicano vote. The older Chicano population, who by the way have been voting legally forever, would be the most negatively affected because they may not be driving anymore, thus would not have a driver’s license anymore. The new changes would have also allowed for hunting licenses to be acceptable, but not student identifications. Among the younger and in their 20’s and 30’s, more Chicano/as have student identification than they do hunting licenses. Even among the older generation, while many Chicanos hunt, our numbers in hunting-license-holding-people is probably among the lowest when compared to other groups. This goes hand in hand with what Texas did recently also, which was to draw new political districts by carving up Chicano population centers, which also went to Court. People tell us to be fair to both sides politically and we try, but facts are facts and both of these “witch hunts” are led by Republican Legislators. There was no voter fraud problem, even the Texas Attorney General said he has prosecuted cases of voter fraud that amount to less than 1% of actual votes cast in Texas. Our political power has arrived and most of us don’t even realize it, but those dinosaurs that have held it forever do.
CHICANO CHANNEL MAGAZINE
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Comments
Justice Department Defends Blacks/Chicanos Again:
Even thou times have changed, the numbers in voting amongst chicanos from the ages of 18 to 50 have dropped. Being active in South Texas politics I've seen many things change, but during the 70's and 80's chicano's were just being recognized as a power. In todays world the numbers have dropped especially in South Texas, many politicians have made it a career without bringing any up and coming new generation of politicians. This only discourages people from voting. You hear "why vote nothing changes". It is our responsibility to encourage our youth to get involved in the political system, be active and invoke the right to vote. Without numbers to show we're a force, we can't blame others for what they do. We have the power to change, its in getting our youth to go out and vote. In Corpus Christi, Texas their's 70% hispanic yet the Republicans control mostly everything. We must encourage, it is a respect the troops deserve.
Voting
Our raza, as you say, sometimes gets in the habit of blaming others and being all skeptical of government, whereas if we voted just a few percentage points higher than now, WE would be government.