The Right to Vote

It has been a long time. I'm sorry. Very sorry. I wasn't expecting this...the not blogging at all thing, but things are going to get better on this end. I promise.

Let me share a little about registering voters.

At times when we go out into the public and register voters we aren't wearing any Obama stickers, buttons, or shirts. Actually, this happens a lot because just like our lack of yard signs, we also lack any boxes of stickers, buttons, or shirts. Anyway, on those days when we are out there registering voters with no Obama bling on the only way a person knows that we are with the campaign is if we tell them, but we don't get to telling them unless they stop and talk with us first. Somehow a lot of people pin us as Democrats or Obama supporters before we can even get a word in. These people (often angry Republicans) see us registering voters and assume we are with the Dems. That struck me as incredibly sad the first day I noticed this. It still makes me sad. Why is it that people know I'm an Obama supporter just because I am encouraging them to do their duty as a citizen of this great country and vote? I think it is telling of the time and maybe this specific area, but I doubt it.

As of right now, we are the only ones going into communities of ex-felons and informing them that once they are off papers they are once again allowed to vote. You can't blame them for assuming they have permanently lost the right to vote, but conveniently, somehow along the way, person after person has forgotten to let them know that once they are off parole they can vote again.

Disenfranchisement.