Thread: Latinos are wasting their political potential

Latinos are wasting their political potential
(http://www.suntimes.com/news/ontiveros/ ... 06.article)

August 6, 2007

BY SUE ONTIVEROS Sun-Times Columnist
Just give it 10 years, it'll catch up."

That was the comment one young man gave a Sun-Times reporter writing about the dismal number of Latinos who voted in 2006. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, only 13 percent of the Hispanic population voted in 2006. While that was a 1 percent increase from 2002, in contrast, 39 percent of all whites and 27 percent of all African Americans headed to the polls in 2006.

I don't mean to come down hard on that particular young man -- especially since he mentioned he did vote in 2006 -- but Latinos don't have the luxury of taking a "manana, manana" approach when it comes to increasing their impact in the voting booth. Pivotal issues are being decided right now. If Latinos want their voice to be considered by lawmakers, they have to register and then vote.

During the immigration marches, many Latinos carried signs that said, "Today we march, tomorrow we vote." That's a wonderful sentiment, but it looks like you missed your "tomorrow," folks. You can't make a promise that you're going to show up at the polls and then not do it.

It's true some Latinos cannot vote because they are too young and others are not legal citizens. However, there are Latino citizens who can vote but don't. The Pew report bears that out, showing only 54 percent of Latinos who could register to vote did so in November 2006. So that means about half of those who could didn't. Why not, for heaven's sake?

The Pew Hispanic Center report also showed that among registered Latino voters, only 60 percent actually went to the polls. In comparison, 72 percent of registered whites and 67 percent of registered blacks cast ballots.

The fight over changes to our country's immigration laws grows uglier and more heated with each passing day. Our leaders in Washington -- many who made promises last year that immigration reform was coming -- have not been successful in fulfilling those promises. Maybe part of their lack of motivation is knowing that the folks who have become most closely identified with the immigration issue, Latinos, aren't voters.

One could say that the anti-immigration forces have been so successful in their opposition to change because politicians know they do and will vote. Yes, it would be wonderful if a politician decided how to vote on any issue based on what was the right thing to do. But, in the real world of politics, lawmakers often do what they know will please the most voters, the people who can kick them out of office.

The United States Hispanic Leadership Institute and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights are just two local organizations that have made registering Latino voters a priority. And during the 2006 election, the coalition had a solid operation to help get voters to the polls. But, the voters have to do their part, too. Latino voters have to get out there and cast their ballots. Latinos who aren't registered to vote need to do that now, not manana.

On Thursday, Sin Fronteras -- the Latino activist group that includes the mother in sanctuary here, Elvira Arellano -- gave statements to the Chicago campaign offices of presidential candidates -- and U.S. senators -- Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, which essentially said they want to see in the fall how the candidates will support immigration reform rather than wait until 2009 to see if campaign promises are fulfilled.

That's a sentiment I can agree with, but how much stronger their appeal would have been if those candidates knew the group had larger numbers of voters who can and do show up on election days.

The longer we sit around and threaten, beg, plead for our lawmakers and law enforcers to do something, the more power these people are getting.

They are out registering people every day - legal or illegal.

Anchor babies are being born everyday - that means their families are here to stay.

Anchor babies are being educated thanks to taxpayers. These children are going to be bilingual - and therefore have an advantage over our children. They will also be deemed to be poverty level and minorities. That gives them even more privileges. Our children's education is being neglected to educate them - daily.

Anchor babies are being educated in our colleges and universities - at our expense. They will have more and better opportunities for jobs than our children.

Anchor babies are entering politics everyday - they will be making the decisions for our children and our country.

While we sit around and 'hope' our 'good guys and gals' will please, pretty please do the right thing.

We don't really have time to wait for the next election - we just don't.

Can't someone bring to the house or senate floor the problem with illegal voters? This bill if it was drafted would cause as big as a rucus as the immigration reform bill would. It needs to get to the floor. Maybe Tancredo could do it.

Originally Posted by Paige

Can't someone bring to the house or senate floor the problem with illegal voters? This bill if it was drafted would cause as big as a rucus as the immigration reform bill would. It needs to get to the floor. Maybe Tancredo could do it.

Of course, someone could - it is just that no 'someone' will!!

They could have done it years ago - but chose not to.

Once again, we are thinking somehow these vile, self-serving greedy people we call our lawmakers are going to get religion and actually try to change something they have been encouraging, perpetuating, and protecting for 3 decades?

That was the comment one young man gave a Sun-Times reporter writing about the dismal number of Latinos who voted in 2006. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, only 13 percent of the Hispanic population voted in 2006. While that was a 1 percent increase from 2002, in contrast, 39 percent of all whites and 27 percent of all African Americans headed to the polls in 2006.

The pew hispanic center seems to forget that if you're ILLEGAL, you can't vote. At least not leagally anyway. Oh...silly me...I forgot, illegals don't need to follow laws!

They aren't forgetting - they know. It is misdirection and half truths.

It's kinda like when Pat Buchanan let that pro-illegal person get away with saying that there was a law against ilegals getting freebies. Why didn't Pat just tell him, 'There's a law against their being here, against their working, against their driving, etc.' - yet they are here.

For people who don't know to hear that man say that are going to think illegals don't get freebies.

Yeah, if it's going to get brought up it will most likey be by Tancredo. UnderDog to the rescue! TANC... we have another request, no one else is willing to risk their neck.

Originally Posted by IndianaJones

Yeah, if it's going to get brought up it will most likey be by Tancredo. UnderDog to the rescue! TANC... we have another request, no one else is willing to risk their neck.

That's right. Tancredo stepped out and took the heat and took the name calling, and took the threats from the WH. He stood out there when everyone else was still trying to be politically correct - afraid they would not get an invite to the WH or to some Hollywood party, or to the golf outing on a corporate jet.

What we need to do is work on citizens to get out there and vote, we have the power, we just have to many Americans not exercising their right. It would not matter if every illegal or OBL voted if all americans would do their civic duty!!!



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That is true. We need every American to vote. We should not as a nation have to fight for someone else's nation to dicate our politicans. That is exactly what is happening and has happened in Calfiornia.