Neither Bombs, Rev. Wright or the Gloom of Night

When you look at the aerial shots today on MSNBC of long lines of voters snaking around polling stations in Cleveland, Atlanta and Raleigh, it is clear that dirty tricksters are going to have a difficult time keeping people at home. God knows they've tried and no doubt you've heard how: a Republican lawyer hiring private detectives in New Mexico to harass Latino voters in their homes; the "mysterious" distribution of official looking leaflets in Virginia falsely claiming that polling for "Democratic Party" members will be held on November 5th; Republican operatives in Pennsylvania "informing" students that they risk forfeiture of scholarships if they vote in the state; fliers circulated in African American neighborhoods in Florida warning voters they would be arrested at the polls if they had unpaid parking tickets or if they had criminal convictions; attempts to purge registered voters.

It may not work this time. People of all shades, hues and tones know history is calling, and we all want to be a part of it. This morning it called out to a wafer-thin elderly black woman who was crouched on a cane waiting in line with me a half hour before the polls opened here in Cambridge. History also drew in a smiling middle-aged Latino man originally from Los Angeles, who was sporting a Barack Obama button on his top coat. And it seemed to call out to a young white postal worker, who walked out of the building with me after we had voted. "You know what we say," he joked, ""Neither snow, nor rain, nor gloom of night".

It was a clear day in Massachusetts, but it is a fitting motto to describe the fortitude of voters in North Carolina and Virginia; places where political conditions are far more difficult for Democratic Party voters. The skies opened up there today but the rain did not discourage thousands from voting. Among the most enthusiastic were African Americans, students and the newly registered.

Traditionally, weather has played as significant a role in limiting voter participation as organized trickery. The dirtiest trick of all is violence, which, fortunately, is no longer a hallmark of American elections as it was in the period from Reconstruction to Civil Rights. But when there's so much clearly at stake for voters even violence can fail, as I witnessed first-hand years ago in South Africa. In April 1994, I had just stepped outside of my hotel in downtown Johannesburg when a huge bomb went off about two blocks away, shattering windows, cars and setting off alarms. The bombing took place just days before that country's historic one-person-one vote balloting was to begin.

A myriad of snapshots made clear what was at stake for South Africans: In a Johannesburg hospital, a victim of the bombing whispered to me that he would vote that week at a makeshift poll by his bedside, regardless of his injuries. On the day of the election, I watched as a scrawny teenager pushed a white bearded black man in a wheel barrow to the entrance of a polling place, which was set up in a school that apartheid made impossible for him to ever attend. I witnessed blacks and whites standing side by side in seemingly interminable lines and the former--for the first time--casting votes for the candidates of their choice. To witness all of this was to be present for the final dissolution of apartheid, one of world history's greatest injustices.

In the U.S., the possibility of an African American president does not pre-suppose the end to color prejudice any more than the election of Nelson Mandela meant an end to inequalities in South Africa. Still, the moment is extraordinary, and millions are now clamoring to get on board what they believe will be the winning side of history.

There are many people in our personal and collective pasts who would surely want to be here to witness this moment taking shape, among them Sojourner, Martin, Malcolm, Robert and John. Like millions of ordinary people waiting in stretched lines today to cast ballots, they too, no doubt, would reflect on this nation's often violent struggle over race and injustice that is now building up into an emotional ball of possibility.

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Comments

[netyourcatch]

Stumbled across this post and it's very relevant considering I'm a black and living in South Africa now. I have lived abroad for a number of years and recently returned to embark on some development work in Africa.

I'm sad that the victory hailed by Mandela over a decade ago has barely translated to an equitable distribution of anything here. Affirmative action is in place but the so called Black Economic Empowerment initiatives favour a small niche of previously disadvantaged individuals - a handful. I think the bulk of the South African population at the moment can be properly classified as PRESENTLY disadvantaged! Gravy trains and corruption are rife as are crime, poverty and lack of educational support for blacks wishing to further themselves.

Nevertheless, Obama had our support in South Africa - at best as a role model of what can be and at worst a relief that Bush and his low-priority Africa policies are finally leaving. While I don't anticipate a dramatic change in relations anytime soon as Mr Obama will have his plate full in dealing with a serious recession, I can only hope that he will help uplift the African American community in the USA itself.

All the best to Obama for his tenure as president - do check out a local South African cartoon blog called Wonkie on http://www.wonkie.com for the Obama victory cartoon and some satirical cartoon commentary on the US elections from a local African perspective .. enjoy!

[stell]

Even 15 years after the official end to apartheid, 90% of the businesses are white owned, and black South Africans are in bad shape. They have affirmative action there right now. This country shares many of the disparities between black and white that South Africa does. Some studies have shown that the disparities are actually worse.

[jdmba]

Great. Just when I stopped crying, I read this. The analogy to South Africa is very accurate.

It's important to realize that Obama is a step in the right direction, but is not the end solution. We still have long battles to fight, as demonstrated by the RNC's attempt to suppress the vote.

We cannot be stopped and we cannot give up.

[wulfsbane]

I don't think the point is stressed enough.

Which party is more responsible for attempting voter suppression.

The GOP. They're the bad guys, the Un-American activities party who would do anything in their power to disenfranchise this country's citizenry.

Maybe its a given that the GOP party would try such things, but it should be stated plainly for all who still have doubts who wears the white hats in this country. Voting Republican means suppressing the rights of the opposition, until that party finds its soul and conscience.