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Vote for a Better Democracy!
| Hello, my name is TAMALA OLIVEIRA | ||
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| Short Biography: Campaign Manager, Greg Taylor for Indiana State Senate Legal Intern, Ways and Means Committee, State of Indiana House Majority Caucus Member, Washington Township (Marion County) Democratic Club Member, Indiana Democratic African-American Caucus Member, N.A.A.C.P. Legal Redress Committee Delegate for N.A.A.C.P. to U.S. Supreme Court Oral Argument on Indiana's Voter ID Law Participant, The White House Project "Go Run" Campaign Worker, L. Douglas Wilder for Governor (Commonwealth of Virginia) Delegate, Virginia Girls' State | |
WHY I'M A DELEGATE FOR OBAMA:
| The governments of our state and our Nation embrace the principles of the representative democracy. As Montesquieu stated “When the body of a people is possessed of the supreme power it is called a democracy. . . In a democracy the people are in some respects the sovereign, and in others the subject. There can be no exercise of sovereignty but by their suffrages, which are their own will; now the sovereign’s will is the sovereign himself.” Government in a democracy serves to make law and implement policy that apply fairly and equally to its citizens—regardless of their socioeconomic status or disability. A democratic government protects its citizens’ will as those citizens serve as their own governors. In Indiana, the notion of and right to self-representation in government derive from our federal and state constitutions. There can be no self-representation without the right to vote. By voting, the People can recall those members of government who fail to represent their interests adequately. Indiana’s Voter ID law undermines the very basis upon which our Nation and our state were based. It excludes—either directly or indirectly—the People from participation in the electoral and political processes. It rejects the notion of democracy. It advocates a government controlled by the leaders instead of one controlled by the People. The concept of a true democracy does not exist. In Indiana, government cannot make law and implement policy that apply to all its citizens. Restricting certain citizens’ right to vote weakens the concept of democracy. As Professor Spencer Overton states, “By manipulating election rules and tolerating election flaws . . . politicians weaken the most effective check on government abuse—the people.” It is within this context that I support Barack Obama’s bid for the presidency. Obama preaches togetherness and “we-ness.” He speaks of the inclusiveness of socioeconomic minorities. He urges us to “Take Back Our Nation!” from an administration which dismisses the People’s will. He understands that we must embrace our socioeconomic diversity in order to compete in today’s constantly-changing world. He proposes a better democracy. As an African-American, Latina and disabled citizen, I appreciate the work of those before me who gave their lives so that our government is truly self-representative. Because I believe in democracy, I have written much about the effect of Indiana’s redistricting and election laws on racial minorities and poor people. I volunteer with the N.A.A.C.P.’s Legal Redress Committee because “[i]njustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” I am founding a leadership institute which would introduce urban black youth to the electoral and political processes, and teach them to become effective leaders in their communities. It is in the spirit of Fannie Lou Hamer and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party that I ask for your vote for national convention delegate. As she stated at the 1964 DNC, “We didn’t come all this way for no two seats[!]” As a Nation, we’ve come a long way, but we’ve got a long way to go before we are truly self-representative. Barack Obama can take us there. He will lead us to a better democracy. |
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toliveir |
Latest page update: made by toliveir
, Jun 18 2008, 7:18 AM EDT
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