Justice Dept. lapse on Black Panthers not the only problem

The US flag waves above attendees at the inauguration of President Barack Obama.[Photo from TV screen by Kay B. Day]The US Justice Dept.’s refusal to do anything about a couple of men who flashed nightsticks and allegedly intimidated voters at a Philadelphia poll during the November Presidential Election is just one example of misguided policies. Those policies didn’t start with President Barack Obama, and it is doubtful they will end with him because the Democratic Party loves identity politics like a donkey loves grass.

The Washington Times filed an exclusive story revealing political appointees overruled career lawyers, insisting they drop a case that by all rights should have been prosecuted. The Times said career lawyers even had an affidavit from a “1960s civil rights activist who witnessed the confrontation and described it as ‘the most blatant form of voter intimidation’ that he had seen, even during the voting rights crisis in Mississippi a half-century ago.” But this isn’t the only misguided policy at the department.

Pomp media refused to report a story about civil rights in Noxubee County. The Clinton Administration stymied the case. One victim’s absentee ballot was stolen. The chairman of the Democratic Party even got people to mark ballots for voters, and he published the names of some voters in the local newspaper, giving them notice he would challenge their eligibility if they tried to vote. Those are the high spots. The Justice Dept. finally got around to doing something in 2005, prosecuting the case of United States v. Ike Brown and Noxubee County. In a scathing analysis at National Review, Hans A. von Spakovsky pointed out the problem: “One [career lawyer] who went to Noxubee County as an observer admitted to another lawyer that if he had seen the same type of illegal behavior being committed against black voters, he would have been outraged. But he wanted nothing to do with a suit filed on behalf of white voters.”

A brief glance at the Justice Dept.’s cases involving Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act reflects a focus on issues related to language. A number of cases involve polls targeted for lack of Spanish language materials and lack of access to “assistors.” A voter needing an assistor, for reasons other than physical impairment, came as a surprise to me. I thought English was our language for government documents, but apparently I was wrong.

Spakovsky pointed out the Ike Brown case resolution was not followed by a news release from our current Justice Dept., as is typical with most cases.

In my opinion, examples of any person of any color being intimidated at a poll should be ferociously prosecuted. Political parties have come to rely on identity politics—segmenting American society into narrow groups, pandering to special interests who are then rewarded with U.S. tax dollars. Such a practice conflicts with the spirit and language of the US Constitution. Some even chastise states requiring proof of identity to vote. A major Democratic Party-preferred group, ACORN, is at present under indictment in more than a dozen states for alleged voter registration fraud. Many of us have little faith in the integrity of our voting system, both Democrats and Republicans.

Democrats currently controlling Congress could care less if laws are being upheld. The San Francisco Examiner reported: “Earlier this month, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., sponsored an amendment to the $140 million Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act. The Frank measure allowed organizations being investigated by state or federal authorities on corruption charges to receive federal funds as long as they avoid conviction.”

ACORN is also a partner in the upcoming Census. Apparently, where embezzlement is concerned, all can be forgiven as long as ACORN is in charge.

Regardless of your race or gender, in the end we all lose when government refuses to hold to standards of ethics. It is obvious that for those who wield power in Washington at present, ethics will not be held in high regard. The US Justice Dept. is, has been and more than likely will be misguided until voters wise up and replace aging politicians who loot the taxpayer and cater to narrow interest groups. Even more worrisome, a house divided cannot stand and at the moment, it is as though our house is being slammed repeatedly with hurricanes. And quite naturally, pomp media is willingly asleep at the wheel. We all, ideally, are equal when it comes to our rights. Perhaps someone could inform the Justice Dept.