Voting From The Brink
For several reasons might voting in this year's midterm elections. I was proud to have voted in a state with the second highest percentage of voter turnout. Colorado trailed only Minnesota, who I was happy to see voted another Muslim into Congress.
On the candidate front, two races were of interest to me: governor and Atty. general. I voted for the victorious Jared Polis mostly because walker Stapleton was an offshoot of his races grandfather (I did not know Polis was gay, and that is the point, is it not?) Stapleton touted a policy of stripping funding from schools to use torch prisons - a policy of doubled-dipped racism. The woeful state of education in our country is a consequence of white rage over school desegregation, and the cancerous growth of incarceration is a product of similar origin, aimed to steer blacks and other minorities out of mainstream society.
I voted against George Brauchler running for the Atty. General in response to his malicious over prosecution as District Atty. and for several unreasonable and futile stances blocking the release of minority inmates the deserved freedom. He also oversaw the prosecution all the way to trial of a case where police clearly planted evidence - the case should have been dropped long before its 17 month run.
I voted for Amendment A to remove the slavery language from the Colorado Constitution used to justify servitude of criminal convicts. I was appalled that the 2016 effort failed due to too confusing language. This time it past but it's intriguing to see 30% of voters think inmates should be punished with slavery. Then again, we are not the post-racial society we thought we were.
I also voted to nix the use of stop signal cameras to issue traffic tickets, generating millions of dollars in punitive revenue. This program was no different than the one used in Ferguson misery and to target and vilified its predominantly black citizens and was an underlying cause of rioting after mike Brown's murder.
My greatest satisfaction came from the fact that I voted despite being incarcerated on false charges. As the descendant of slaves and freedman who fought Jim Crow at a time voting was a capital crime if you were Black, and having been a former prison convict, as well as being Muslim and an activist, I know all too well the elusive pursuit of justice and freedom, and a sense of self. My career background in polling and political strategy as well as being a Muslim and a community activist has honed in me a sharp cultural and historical awareness, and has pressed home the importance of been involved and being vocal.
In an election that shifted partisan power and gave disenfranchised Floridians (who are felons) voting rights, and elected "nontraditional" candidates like an MMA fighter, a hijab-wearing Muslim, a Native American, a hip hop artist, and a lottery winner into office, I was also proud to motivate and organize a number of inmates to register and eventually vote as well.
Most of all, I was proud to simply cast my vote and my voice for consideration standing in the shadow of those who came before me fighting and dying while seeking the right to be seen as free and human - even as I have languished on the brink of society.
On the candidate front, two races were of interest to me: governor and Atty. general. I voted for the victorious Jared Polis mostly because walker Stapleton was an offshoot of his races grandfather (I did not know Polis was gay, and that is the point, is it not?) Stapleton touted a policy of stripping funding from schools to use torch prisons - a policy of doubled-dipped racism. The woeful state of education in our country is a consequence of white rage over school desegregation, and the cancerous growth of incarceration is a product of similar origin, aimed to steer blacks and other minorities out of mainstream society.
I voted against George Brauchler running for the Atty. General in response to his malicious over prosecution as District Atty. and for several unreasonable and futile stances blocking the release of minority inmates the deserved freedom. He also oversaw the prosecution all the way to trial of a case where police clearly planted evidence - the case should have been dropped long before its 17 month run.
I voted for Amendment A to remove the slavery language from the Colorado Constitution used to justify servitude of criminal convicts. I was appalled that the 2016 effort failed due to too confusing language. This time it past but it's intriguing to see 30% of voters think inmates should be punished with slavery. Then again, we are not the post-racial society we thought we were.
I also voted to nix the use of stop signal cameras to issue traffic tickets, generating millions of dollars in punitive revenue. This program was no different than the one used in Ferguson misery and to target and vilified its predominantly black citizens and was an underlying cause of rioting after mike Brown's murder.My greatest satisfaction came from the fact that I voted despite being incarcerated on false charges. As the descendant of slaves and freedman who fought Jim Crow at a time voting was a capital crime if you were Black, and having been a former prison convict, as well as being Muslim and an activist, I know all too well the elusive pursuit of justice and freedom, and a sense of self. My career background in polling and political strategy as well as being a Muslim and a community activist has honed in me a sharp cultural and historical awareness, and has pressed home the importance of been involved and being vocal.
In an election that shifted partisan power and gave disenfranchised Floridians (who are felons) voting rights, and elected "nontraditional" candidates like an MMA fighter, a hijab-wearing Muslim, a Native American, a hip hop artist, and a lottery winner into office, I was also proud to motivate and organize a number of inmates to register and eventually vote as well.
Most of all, I was proud to simply cast my vote and my voice for consideration standing in the shadow of those who came before me fighting and dying while seeking the right to be seen as free and human - even as I have languished on the brink of society.
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