‘Twelve percent turnout is an insult to your children’
"Cities Rocked by Past Unrest Offer Lessons in What, and What Not, to Do"
Voters wait in line to cast their vote at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church on November 6, 2012 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Julie Denesha/Getty Images
By Steve Benen 08/18/14 03:47 PM
The Rev. Al Sharpton, host of msnbc’s “Politics Nation,” spoke at the Greater Grace Church’s services yesterday, and addressed the crisis surrounding Michael Brown’s death from a variety of angles. Of particular interest, though, was one of Sharpton’s challenges .. http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/least-1-dead-violence-engulfs-ferguson .. to the community itself.
--- “Michael Brown is gonna change this town,” he said, before criticizing the paltry voting record on the area. “You all have got to start voting and showing up. 12% turnout is an insult to your children.” ---
That was not an exaggeration. The historical and institutional trends that created the current dynamic in Ferguson – a largely African-American population led by a largely white local government – are complex, but the fact that black voters haven’t been politically engaged has contributed to the challenges facing the community. In the most recent elections, turnout really was just 12%.
To that end, Ferguson residents have had an enormous amount of work to do over the last several days – mourn, grieve, protest, and recover, all while struggling through moments of violence – but haven’t forgotten about the importance of civic engagement in general, and voter registration in specific.
--- Rev. Rodney Francis of the St. Louis Clergy Coalition pointed to voter registration tent at the scene. “That’s where change is gonna happen,” Francis said.
Debra Reed of University City and her daughter, Shiron Hagens, were working at the registration tent. They said they set it up on their own.
“We’re trying to make young people understand that this is how to change things,” Reed said. ---
State GOP policymakers have taken steps .. http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/missouri-gop-latest-push-early-voting .. to restrict voting rights and curtail early voting, but none of this should be seen as an excuse to discourage Ferguson residents from registering and participating. The kind of systemic changes many in the community crave can be achieved through the ballot box.
To repeat Sharpton’s message: “You all have got to start voting and showing up. 12% turnout is an insult to your children.”
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