Prairie View A&M Students March To Vote

(Via The Field) Founded in 1876, Prairie View A&M is a historically black university in Prairie View, Texas. The school is home to about eight thousand students, who study in a range of fields - most notably engineering, nursing and agriculture - and they have a famous marching band called the Marching Storm (which, as you'll soon see, is pretty appropriate).

As you might suspect, the student body represents a large constituency of Democratic party voters, and, that being the case, they don't have it easy. Texas Republicans, who run the electoral show, have historically gone out of their way to stymie Democratic voters. The whole state was gerrymandered out the yin-yang (if you recall, back in 2003, statehouse Democrats were forced to flee to Oklahoma in a futile attempt to block the GOP's redistricting plan) back in 2003.

For the students of Prairie View, the Republicans in the state located their "early-polling place more than seven miles from the school." As it turned out, this was just a minor inconvenience to a student body well-taught by their own Marching Storm.

And, that, I believe, is what democracy looks like.

Comments

[AurigaRa]

Thom Hartmann has been saying for a long time that the college students will be the force behind the next revolution­.,,and they have been looking for someone who will step out in front of their parade. Obama is that person.

[eladora]

We should all be so moved to vote to walk 1 mile let alone 7. It is profound that they had to do this in America. Dems need to double their turnout in the fall over what has happened in the primaries. Double it -- so there is no way the repub and their money machines can steal this election.
3 of the most depised words in our history :
"I'll deliver Florida"
Jeb to W 2000

[slow2]

eladora, you are so right.

Voting is so much more in 2008 than in previous years. The memory of the Jeb Bushes of the world, the Katherine Harrises of the world and that freaking secretary of state in Ohio still lurk.

Walk, crawl, run or take a bus; just get the heck to the polls and elect a Democrat in 2008.

And take a few people with you.

[GeoLee]

ABSOLUTELY!

[lovethesinner]

I can't wait for the general election. That line will extend all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.

I want to start an Obama support group called "The Boy Ranger's" in honor of the fictional character's in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" who came to his rescue in the final scenes. (I know it's corney, but I'm honestly moved, and I'd be willing to take a licking for Obama, anytime.)

Chris Matthews once said he heard a reporter remark to him that what's happening to Obama reminded him of a quote he heard about the famous Roman orator, Cicero.

Apparently, Cicero was only one of two famous orators of the Roman era, and the other was Demosthenes. Cicero was once complimented on his fine oraratorical skill to which he replied,

"It’s said that when Cicero speaks people say, “Wow, what a wonderful speaker Cicero is.” But when Demosthenes speaks, they say, "WHEN DO WE MARCH."

WE MARCH NOW!

Words are not "cheap," they are the progenitor of action. They are not "fairy-tales", they are but the outlines of HOPE and a road map to an eventual outcome.

Obama / Richardson in '08

[bluestatelib]

The Prairie View A&M University students have marched before to protect their voting rights. Consider:

"Most recently, in 2004, an estimated 5,000 students marched seven miles from campus to the Waller Country Courthouse to demand the right to vote without intimation, and to ask the State of Texas to intervene in the matter. In the 2006 election, hundreds of newly registered students were turned away from the polls and forced to vote with provisional ballots because their names were never added to the Waller County voter registration rolls."

Edrea Davis

February 13, 2008

United States Student Association

http://www.usstudents.org/press-room/articles/february-2008/prairie-view-students-experiencing-voting-problems-in-waller-county-texas

Why do Waller County, Texas Republicans hate American democracy so much?

[bluestatelib]

Republicans in Waller County, Texas have a long history of trying to prevent the students at Prairie View A&M University from voting. Consider:

"In Texas, students at the predominantly black Prairie View A&M University were threatened with arrest by the local district attorney, a Republican, who suggested they were not eligible to vote in the county in which the school was located. This was nonsense. Students can vote in their college towns if they designate the campus as their home address. The whole point, of course, was intimidation. The threat of arrest is an excellent way of deterring someone from voting."

Bob Herbert,

NY Times

September 13, 2004

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/13/opinion/13herbert.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=texas%20students%20prairie%20view%20vote%20U.S.&st=nyt&oref=slogin

[RayEvansHarrell]

Local Intimidation is something that the Iroquois of upstate New York are well aware of. But we hear little about New York State's version of the Texas story. How about looking into use of the Patriot Act to intimidate local leaders? How about the praise heaped on Reagan by New York papers when he collaborated in the murder of 150,000 Mayan Indians during Iran/Contra?

Bob Herbert is a good columnist writing about a large minority group of Americans of which he is a part. Are we not all affected however, when we let this happen to any group no matter how small? Does the rest of the world not know these stories and read for themselves when confronting American self-righteousness? The Mohawks have regularly stopped the highways in New York to protest injustice and the breach of their thousands of year old rights as an aboriginal people. Where did we read in the New York Newspapers about the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand as the only countries in the world to refuse to sign the UN Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007? (the NYTimes search engine is ominously silent) There are those who can stop the highways and be shown on National Television and in the New York Press and there are those who cannot. REH

[Kungfublood]

As a member of the Republican Party; I can tell you there is no more than about three people in those photos and only one of them is registered to vote and it will be counted for John McCain!

[forpeace]

*

Kungfublood

...... I can tell you there is no more than about three people in those photos....­..

==========

Are you wearing your glasses?!

*

[slow2]

Glasses don't help if you are completely blind; and, kungfu whatsit is utterly and completely lacking sight.

[liberaldemdave]

Poor delusional, Kungfu...

There were several THOUSAND people at the march and activists have registered approximately THREE THOUSAND NEW VOTERS on the campus of Prairie View A&M University­...I know because I participated in one of those GOTV drives on campus and was THRILLED to drive the 100+ miles round trip to help.

[butchie65]

Guess that took care of that lie, Kungfu, what's next ?

[jesuswazasocialist]

kungfublood you must have kungfooed yourself in the head, so Republicans really only see what they want to see.

[Robertsteven]

Thats O.k this is what you get from people with no souls, they will never get to heaven, life will always be a living hell

[slow2]

Kungfublood,

If you mean, SOLD to McCain, you are dead wrong. This year is different. No damned Supremes gifting the election to the GOP. No damned GOP operatives like the secy's of state in Ohio and Fl will lie and steal and shift the count to the GOP.

This year, the GOP will suck its collective thumb and pray for the NEXT election.

Smart voters will not let this one be stolen or gifted.

Heads up.

[liberaldemdave]

Photographs from the event from the Dan Grant for Congress Flickr page.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dangrantforcongress/

[Obamlatina]

inspiring & moving

now this is change we should "xerox"

[liberaldemdave]

Photographs from the event from the Dan Grant for Congress Flickr page.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dangrantforcongress/

[Obamlatina]

Thank You for posting this video. Incredible & moving. This march, to me, represents the power of words, speeches..­. Contrary to what some believe, words are not "cheap."

These students will help bring about positive change regardless of whom they voted for. I hope this change, in how energized they feel about gov't/politics, will be "xeroxed" over and over again.

[lynnn]

Anyone wanna try posting this on HRC's websight, just give them the link maybe the scales will fall from their eyes!

[lynnn]

So is this the moment that a campaign becomes a movement.


To those that say America doesn't need a movemtn, I say maybe America doesn't need you!

[jones]

That brought a few tears to my eyes.

[kardwell]

Right on!!!
How refreshing to witness inspired voices raised against the apathetic and cynical rhetoric so prevalent in these times.
Good for them!

[SaveTheCrying]

What a movement. To the students who stood up and marched in this video, you have truly moved me and brought me to tears. How awesome, thanks for sharing.