By Stephanie Findley, Chair, Democratic Party of Wisconsin Black Caucus
Last week we saw the true colors of the Wisconsin Republican Party, when they got caught on tape in a plan to target and to suppress black votes with an illegal move called “voter caging.”
Back in the day, they kept African Americans home on voting day by using burning crosses and outright violence.
But today, the Republican Party is a lot smarter, because they know that the independent voters that they try to hoodwink wouldn’t stand for that. No, this brand of racism is a lot more sophisticated. But it is definitely still racism.
Don’t believe me?
If Republicans and their Tea Party buddies were really worried about voter fraud, why did they test out their underhanded schemes right here in Milwaukee, in the 16th Assembly district. It’s an overwhelmingly African American district, and it’s also where the Tea Party and the Republicans have been trying out their “voter caging” plot.
That plot was uncovered after someone turned over the tape of a voter-caging instructional session to a Madisonbased advocacy group that, among other things, works to protect voter rights.
The Tea Party thug in charge was approached by reporters and made like it was funny that he got caught, and in the tape you can hear him complaining about “the minorities.”
This man’s name is Tim Dake and nobody in our community has ever heard him or seen him working to fix the problems here of crime, of poverty, of lack of jobs. But he has sent his angry mob into our community, and hatched this plot with Republicans, as an up-to-date version of those burning crosses, and a way to keep us home on Nov. 2, so that people like Scott Walker, whose campaign likes to make racist jokes, and Ron Johnson, who believes that blacks are inferior, can get elected.
Republicans are out there again this year, trying to advance the lie that there’s a great deal of voter “fraud,” out there. But to them, any time a Black person votes, it looks like fraud. Why else do they focus their plots and their plans our way?
Why else do the Republicans buy big billboards in our community trying to strike fear into voters by showing Black people behind bars? Why don’t they buy billboards that tell us their jobs plans, or how they’ll help improve health care in the community?
If you think I’m mad about this, you’re right.
But I hope you’ll join me in getting even, instead of getting mad. The way we can do that? Make sure you don’t let the Tea Party’s later-day burning crosses keep you home on Nov. 2. Tell them you won’t back down to their intimidation. Get out and vote.
