Page 7 - Florida Sentinel 5-13-16 Online Edition

Local
Voters Share Opinions About Importance Of Casting Ballots
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Last year,
nearly 20 people
filed as potential
candidates for
the 2016 Presi-
dential Election.
Millionaire
Donald Trump
was among those who announced his intentions, but few people saw him as a serious contender to represent the Re- publican Party.
Not only has Trump survived these past months, but he has seemingly eliminated all competition. Trump, who has earned the disdain of many of his own party members, is considered the Presumptive Republican Presiden- tial nominee.
Some Republicans have stated that they will not support Trump, while others have said they won’t cast ballots at all. The question of the week some Sentinel readers responded to was, “How does this affect the importance of Blacks going to the polls?”
Ms. Ava Hill
said, “It should not
matter at all. Black
people should go to
the polls because it’s
a right that they are
afforded. We should not base what we do by what someone else does. Know
your past, don’t fall for the misinforma- tion that is conveniently placed in the Black community.”
Rev. Karen Sims
said, “It is extremely
important for us to
register and get to the
polls if we care about
moving forward and
not backward. We must vote and not just for the national elections, but in state and local elections. Too many of our ancestors fought and died for us to have the right to vote.”
Ross Anderson
said, “This election
this year is probably
the MOST critical
election year of our
time. Everything from
the Presidency to our local and state election are extremely important be- cause of two simple word EQUALITY and EQUITY. This should be a wake-up call for every registered voter to let their voices be heard. If you don’t vote, then don’t complain about what happens next to our community!”
Dr. Samuel
Wright said, “Black
folk must be counted
and we must be suc-
cessful with a strong
Democratic block
vote. Otherwise, we all must seek dual citizenship in Africa and the U. S. Time is out for voter apathy and compla-
cency. WE must act now by voting like never before!”
Attorney Clinton
Paris said, “What Re-
publicans do in re-
sponse to Donald
Trump is irrelevant
to the African Ameri-
can community’s need to show up at the polls. African Americans endured centuries of oppression without any voice. Through the sacrifices of Blacks and whites alike, we now can be a de- ciding factor in America’s future by simple voting.
“However, the African American community is at a crossroads. The Black consciousness experienced fol- lowing the Civil Rights Movement has waned and many voting-age African Americans are ambivalent and apa- thetic to the Democratic process. This malaise puts the advancements and op- portunities African Americans have gained over the years at risk and thereby the future prosperity of all America.
“We cannot allow the loss of ad- vancements that followed reconstruc- tion to again ravage the Black community. We must remain vigilant to the threat of injustice and efforts to return to Jim Crow style lawful inequal- ity. The power of the ballot is our great- est weapon and must be used regardless of what anyone else does. This is a duty we have to each other and
our country.”
Danny Green
said, “I don’t think it
affects Black people
from voting at all be-
cause the majority of
Black folks are De-
mocrats. And it should encourage Black folks to really get out and vote now.
“Some Republicans feel they do not have any good candidates, and that’s why they’re not voting or supporting any of the candidates, especially Don- ald Trump.”
James Ransom
said, “Whether Re-
publican or Democ-
rat, we should
all exercise our privi-
lege to vote. Harvard
Law professor Lani Guinier wrote that, “Voting is one of the funda- mental elements of democratic citizen- ship that is tethered to the whims of local officials.”
“Therefore, at the end of the day, one of our greatest leverage points as a special interest group in America is vot- ing. By voting, you can influence key decisions and protect the public trust in government. We have an obligation to GET OUT AND VOTE.”
FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2016 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 7-A