The State of America: Change Has to Come

By Guest Blogger, Mary Ratliff, President NAACP Columbia, Missouri Chapter

We are experiencing a very tragic and difficult time in our Country. I listened to the President's speech during the Republican Convention that compelled me to put pen to paper to respond to what seems to be a distorted or omitted fact in Donald Trump's speech. While delivering his speech He posed this question, while directing their attention toward the White House: "What is the name of this House, which is of course the White House. He then said, "We are here they are not."

Many have criticized those remarks but no one has addressed the meaning of his remarks, meaning this House is named for those who should occupy it, and is called the White for that purpose. I believe this was not a dog whistle but a bullhorn announcement to those who believe the presidency should be reserved for white males only.  

Change has to come, we need to recognize this is not a movement but a revolution. In a movement requests are made; in a revolution demands are made with expected outcomes.  We are calling upon like minded citizens, as was the case in the 50's, 60's and 70's, to join with us to march, demonstrate and strategize to bring about the changes necessary to bring peace to this troubled country.

We need all hands on deck to turn out the vote this November 3, 2020. Make no mistake, this administration has caused damage that will take strong leadership to repair. Unfortunately there are those who want to take us back to the 'good old days'  when Black Americans were viewed as less than human; only capable of jobs that required physical strength. This was not to be the only plight of the Black Race, because we had strength most of the time with little or no formal education. Black mothers and fathers taught us there is nothing more important than freedom and education; so we fought, bled and died for the right to have our little boys and girls enjoy the freedom that is due them.

I am appealing to our white friends, recognizing they can never walk a mile in our shoes,  to have a conscious that will direct them to no longer sit by and allow the senseless killing of Black men by police for no reason but for the color of their skin. 

Let us make it plain, there are those who say if no change is made in administration, we will be set back as a people, I say to you, that's a dice that shouldn't be rolled. Slavery did not stop John Brown, Harriett Tubman, Medgar Evers or Dr. Martin Luther Jr., and it wont stop us. It seems so strange to have to say in 2020, "we will be free." Unfortunately, that is not the case for Mike Brown, Travon Martin, George Floyd, Blake Taylor and so many others. 

We like Dr. King believe in a nonviolent revolution and refuse to allow our message to be lost in senseless violence. So we commend our young people for accepting the torch passed on to them as we continue to be the shoulder for them to stand on until we all are free indeed.

Respectfully Submitted By Mary A. Ratliff. President Columbia NAACP

Ratliff has spent over 60 years in the civil rights struggle, beginning in the 1960s when she helped organize a group called Concerned Citizen United. She later became president of the Columbia Chapter of the NAACP where she continues to serve today. Ratliff also served several terms on the National Board of the NAACP.

Where’s My Mail?

Americans React to Chaotic Leadership

By:  Mildred Robertson 

                                                                                                    

Many Americans will turn to the U.S. Postal Service this fall to cast their vote during the most dangerous pandemics the world has ever known. The Coronavirus Pandemic has sickened 5.6 million U.S. citizens and 174,293 have lost their lives as of August 18, 2020. Times such as these have historically caused Americans to come together to fight a common enemy, putting aside partisanship, and in some instances even prejudices and racism. Americans leaders have commonly stepped forward to summon our better angels as we work for the collective good of the country.

 Not so, however, in 2020. Our current administration has instead worked to divide us even further, casting around to find a villain besides himself upon whom to lay blame for the unchecked spread of Covid-19 within our borders. America is experiencing the collapse of our social and financial foundations, the demise of our school system, the overburdening of our health-care system and the total lack of vision regarding how to emerge from the horror that is the untethered pandemic sweeping our nation. Not only is there a lack of leadership in addressing these pressing national concerns, but an attack on the nation’s infrastructure that could help mitigate some of the issues we face.  

 From the lack of an organized effort to obtain the personal protective equipment (PPE) needed by the health care industry to safely treat infected patients to the hobbling of the U.S. Post Office in order to discourage absentee voting during a pandemic requiring physical distancing, this administration has acted as an adversary to rather than a proponent for America’s survival and recovery from this pandemic. 

 As legislators grapple with a gridlocked congress, the House continues to attempt to hammer out a compromise to provide a much needed stimulus check to Americans struggling during this pandemic.  A key component of their negotiations is an attempt to provide $25 billion in emergency funding to the U.S. Postal Service so that it can meet its traditional obligations and another $3.6 billion for state and local election officials struggling to staff polling places and process mail ballots which are expected to increase due to the pandemic.

The administration is at odds with the House as it struggles to provide relief to Americans suffering from furloughs, job loss, sickness and death. The administration has instituted draconian measures to slow down the mail, ripping mail sorters from mail rooms across America, and spiriting away mail boxes in minority communities, in hopes, it is believed, to discourage these individuals from voting by mail. These voter suppression tactics, if successful, would result in long lines and would possibly decrease the number of individuals voting due to fear of exposure to Covid-19.

Citizens across the nation have already experienced slow mail service as the USPS officials eliminate overtime in the midst of a worker shortage due to the pandemic. As quarantined Americans increasingly depend upon the USPS for everything from medicine to toilet paper, the post office is experiencing staff shortages due to the virus. Postal workers complain that mail is left sitting on the docks, and postal customers tell stories of late delivery of medication, and small business shipments and correspondence arriving 3 weeks after postmark. The strategy behind these tactics is to discourage mail-in voting. It is the president’s position that mail-in ballots will result in voter fraud, though there is no data to support that claim.

 Many battleground states, including Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin currently require that mail ballots be received by Election Day in order to be counted, regardless of when they were mailed. By slowing the mail many voters who mailed their ballots in a timely manner might be disenfranchised. Even if the states decide to accept ballots postmarked by November 3, it is possible that uncertainty about the election outcome could be established. By slowing delivery of mail-in ballots it is more likely that a clear winner could not be announced election night. In other words, a candidate who was in the lead based upon Election Day in-person votes could challenge the legitimacy of mail ballots, even though a majority of people chose to use that method due to the pandemic. This claim could be made even if their ballots were mailed timely. Trump has already indicated that he will challenge the legitimacy of mail-in ballots despite the pandemic.

Trump’s attack on USPS is his second attempt to strengthen his political position with the approaching election. He first floated the idea of postponing the election due to Covid-19 before finally suggesting that only votes that are tallied on Election Day be counted.  His suggestion was met with immediate push back from Americans from both sides of the aisle.  The attack on USPS has fared no better. In new developments, under extreme pressure from citizen protesters and the legislature, the Trump appointed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced today that changes to USPS processes and procedures will be halted until after the November election.

It is clear that when citizens collectively raise their voices, government responds. November 3^rd we have the option to loudly declare our desire for leadership that responds to the needs of every American citizen. We can demand an end to chaos by voting for stable leadership that comprehends democratic governance and understands that America is a nation ruled by the people.

It’s About the Census, Stupid

By Mildred Robertson

As Americans struggle with the Covid-19 outbreak, attacks on our democracy by a sitting president, racial unrest, the militarization of our police force, and a gridlocked legislature, many do not have time to think about how the next 10 years will play out in American democracy. But we must. You see in 2020 America must collect data to determine how it will divide its limited resources for the next 10 years.

Little is being said about the 2020 census as the nation’s airwaves are dominated by the president’s mindless press conferences, a deadlocked congress that cannot implement any useful legislation, and police militarization against peaceful protesters. Granted, these are all topics that need and deserve the public’s attention. However, the 2020 census is as important as, if not more important than any of these challenges. In fact, the successful implementation of the census will have an impact upon all these issues.

Many minorities are wary of the census, fearing that “Big Brother” is trying to keep tabs on them. It is an understandable fear, but one that is being used to suppress much needed minority participation in the process. You see, the census helps determine how federal dollars will be used in local communities. That means that an under count in your community may mean that vital community services won’t get the dollars they need to support improvement in city services. It may mean that you don’t get a city council person to represent your area. It may mean that potholes in your community don’t get fixed. You might be denied a congressional representative. There might not be a public school or hospital built in your community. Maybe you will end up with fewer fire stations than you need. You might not have a public works department that can adequately maintain your streets, or pick up your trash. The census affects things like youth programs, senior meals, healthcare and housing assistance.

So if you care about the conditions you live in…if you care about your community…then you care about the census. You see, in 2010, the last time a census was taken conservatives were the majority in most statehouses around the country. The data collected in the census is used to determine how many national and state legislators will be apportioned to your community. Because the legislature, both locally and nationally, can draw congressional lines, they were able to use the data from 2010 to draw voting districts that placed all the power in their hands across much of the country. It is called gerrymandering. These gerrymandered districts resulted in political districts drawn in such a way that only one party benefited. By drawing lines with conservative voters in the majority, they were able to sweep statehouses across the country and to win majorities in the United States Congress and statehouses nationwide.

If you want to have an impact on how your community is governed, you need to fill out the census. Donald Trump will not be sending his goons to your door. The census will not trigger a follow-up on a delinquent ticket or warrant. It is not a way to determine whether illegals are in your home. You do not have to talk to the census taker who knocks on your door. You can fill out the census form on the internet. It only takes a few minutes. The questions are not overly invasive.

A depressed census is the number one voter suppression technique. Don’t let your love of privacy or fear of an over-reaching government keep you from participating in this vital activity. Just like voting, participating in the census is the duty of every American and it is the privilege of every resident. Make sure your community is rightfully reflected in the 2020 Census so that the distribution of resources over the next 10 years will meet your community’s needs. Visit my2020census.gov to fill out your census questionnaire. Please, do it today.