Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 1 November 2002 — Page 1
Religion Ministers aid ex-cons
BUSINESS Miller Urban Enterprise Grant competition
SPORTS IUPUI Jaguars Basketball
[VOLUME 107 M NUMBER 44 M FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2002 M PHONE 317/924-5143 M www.indianapolisrecorder.com ■ 75$|
Democrats fear inconsistent new law will discourage Black voters
By AMOS BROWN III Recorder Correspondent When voting this Tuesday, Indianapolis and Marion County’s estimated 110,000 African-Ameri-can voters are being warned to be especially alert for attempts by rogue Republican polling place workers to deny African Americans their legal and legitimate right to vote. At issue is a new conflicting state law which asks voters to “voluntarily” provide a “voter identification number.” According to new state election regulations, poll workers must “ask” persons at the polling place for a “voter identification number.” However voters are NOT required to provide the information. This number is designed to help state and county
The law is clear that voters don't have to provide a voter ID number in order to vote." 0
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election officials clean up the thousands of duplicate names in the state’s voter rolls. However, Democratic officials in Indianapolis/Marion County fear the new conflicting regulations will
lead to blatant voter intimidation. For the benefit of Indianapolis Recorder readers, here is the exact text of the instructions for poll workers as contained in the 2002 Indiana Election Day Handbook, published by the Indiana Election Division of Republican Secretary of State Sue Anne Gilroy’s office. “There is a new requirement under state law that a voter shall be asked to provide the voter’s ‘voter identification number.’ This number is the voter’s driver’s license
number, the voter’s state identification number or, if the voter does not have a driver’s license or state identification number, the last four digits of the voter’s Social Security number. The poll clerks shall: (1) ask the voter to provide the identification number; (2) tell the voter the number the voter may use as a voter identification number; and (3) explain to the voter that the voter is not required to provide a voter identification number at the polls in order to vote.” The important distinction is that poll workers must, under state regulations, “explain to the voter that the voter is not required to provide a voter identification number at the polls in order to vote.” Democratic officials are concerned that in some precincts, particularly Black Center Township
precincts. Republican inspectors, sheriffs and poll clerks will “selectively” enforce these new rules. “In the primary we received phone calls from inner city precincts where Republican workers were challenging people’s right to vote,” Ed Treacy, chair of the Marion County Democratic Party told The Recorder. Marion County Clerk Sarah Taylor, a Republican, feels that Treacy and Democratic officials needn't worry. In a live interview Monday on WDNI/Channel 65’s Amos Brown Show, Taylor said “The law is clear that voters don’t have to provide a voter ID number in order to vote.” Responding to Democratic concerns that poll workers won’t be properly trained, Taylor said there will be numerous training sessions
for polling place clerks, sheriffs and inspectors in the days leading up to Tuesday’s election. Treacy remains skeptical. “It’s typical of the old history of the Republican Party,” he said, “to intimidate Black voters.” According to Treacy, during the rule of the local GOP by the late Keith Bulen in the 1960s and 1970s, Republicans created a campaign of voter intimidation that was so successful; the GOP copied it in other states. “Republicans would place law-yer-types in front of precincts,” said Treacy. “Thqre would be police cars on the block. If voters looked suspicious their right to vote would be challenged." But in hertelevision interview. See BLACK VOTERS, Page A2
5 year-old DeQuan Wilson envoys aday of fun at trie pumpkin palch. (Photo/C. Guynn)
Numbers to call Here are some |jumbers to call if voters have a problem at the polls: j/m Marion Coi9|r Election Board, 327-5100 Secretary of Stato’a . election fraud hotline, 1-800-022-4941 U.S. Attomey’a Office, Southern Diatrict of Indiana, (317) 220-6333 FBI in Indianapolis area, (317) 639-3301 Cheney to be at McVey event Sen. Richard Lugar will honor Republican candidate for Congress Brose McVey during a breakfast reception at 7:30 a. m. on Nov. 1 at the Marriott Hotel located at 350 W. Maryland St. Vice President Dick Cheney will be on hand to give remarks. For more information, call (317) 396-0737. Helping defeated teens The International Center for Biblical Counseling will be hosting a conference for youth workers Nov. 4 - 8 at the Indianapolis Training Center on 2820 N. Meridian St. The conference features youth specialists Steve Russo, host of F6cus on the Family’s Life on the Edge program, youth worker Ken Copley, speaker Dave Park, author Steve Gerali and author Bill Boyd. For more information or to register call toll free 877-467-4222. Volunteers needed Breaking Free Inc., a non-profit organization in support of families affected by abuse, is looking
Sm SBRIEFS, Page A4
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State, U.S. officials say they’ll protect voting rights
Special to The Recorder U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Susan W. Brooks, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana Joseph S. Van Bokkelen and Indiana Secretary of State Sue Anne Gilroy announced that the office of the Indiana Secretary of State will work in conjunction with the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the FBI to protect voting rights in Indiana. “We will be proactive to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by protecting voting rights and prosecuting election crimes,” Brooks said. “This is in no way suggesting that we anticipate problems with the state of Indiana election officials,” Brooks added. “They are competent professionals in whom we have the highest confidence. Instead, the United States Attorneys’ Offices will team up with the state election officials to receive and investigate any citizen complaints of possible voting rights violations.” “Indiana has long been a leader in election issues. We have made great strides to assure that our elections have integrity, and our partnership with the Department of Justice will ensure that Indiana stays ahead of the curve,” said Gilroy. “Election fraud dilutes the worth of votes
honestly cast. It also corrupts the essence of our representative form of government. As a crime against both the individual and the government, it will be dealt with promptly and aggressively,” Van Bokkelen said. Assistant United States Attorneys and assigned FBI agents will be on duty in this district on Election Day to receive complaints of election fraud. The United States Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Indiana can be reached by the public in Indianapolis at (317) 226-6333 and in Evansville at (812) 465-6475. The FBI will also have special agents available in each field office and resident agency in the Northern and Southern Districts to receive allegations of election fraud on Election Day. The FBI can be reached by the public in the Indianapolis area at (317) 639-3301. Brooks said most forms of election crime are easily recognized, such as voter bribery, voter intimidation, and ballot forgery. Other forms of election fraud are subtler. It is, for example, a federal offense to seek out the elderly, the socially disadvantaged, or the illiterate for the purpose of subjugating their electoral will. Furthermore, every voter has the right to mark his or her ballot in private, free from the watchful eye of election partisans.
Program teaches children skills to escape an abduction
SHANNON WILLIAMS Recorder Editor It seems as if now, more than ever, child abduction is becoming a trend. Although totally eradicating this problem is somewhat far-fetched, one organization is working to make the actual process of abducting a child more difficult. The Kid Escape! program was developed two years ago to better educate children on how to avoid being abducted by attackers. The program teaches children life-sav-ing skills that should be enforced if ever they become potential victims of abduction. Indianapolis resident, Michelle Strong was so frustrated with the many recent child abductions that she decided to host a Kid Escape! Training Program. “I thought it was important to teach children some type of defense mechanism (that will) protect themselves from strangers the best way they can. It will teach them how to buy some time so that maybe people can see what’s going on or hear them screaming,” said Strong who is the mother of three girls. The training program will be instructed by Chris Golightly, who is a Federal Agent as well as the national training director for Kid Escape! During the program, Golightly will request parent par-
“We know that child abductors are opportunists, they take the path of least resistance. A child that acts passively to an abductor’s approach will likely be taken away.” Chris Golightly, Kid Escape! National Training Director
ticipation with role-playing as well! as teach the children three basic skills that are easy to learn, yet
See Kid Escape, Page A2
Kid Escape! Skills Poster
SPECIAL REPORT
Do Black suspected snipers ' stigmatize the entire race?
By GEORGE E. CURRY Editor-In-Chief NNPA News Service WASHINGTON (NNPA) — It has happened again. When news first broke that there was a sniper on the loose in the Washington, D.C., area, our first thought was: I hope he isn’t Black. And when our worst fear turned into reality, we wondered yet again: Are whites going to see this in racial terms? Why do we always have these same reactions? “We fear indictment as a race because now, on top of everything negative. Black folks have been unjustly saddled with, we now get to add sniper to the list,” explains Darryl Moss, mayor of Creed moor.
N.C. Christina L. Stewart was hoping we wouldn’t add to that list. She was at her home in Clarksburg, W.Va., with her 8-year-old twin sons last week when she learned that James Allen Muhammad, an Army veteran who had served in the 1991 Gulf War, and a 17-year old companion, Lee Mai vo, had been arrested in connection with 13 sniper attacks in the Washington area that left 10 people dead. “When I heard on the news that suspects in the sniper case had been arrested, I immediately said out loud, ‘Lord, please don’t let them be Black,”’ she recalls. Sm SNIPERS, Pag* A3
Domestic violence and the church: V ’ The silence must be broken
By JOSHUA COHEN Staff Writer
Dr. Frances Nelson Williams is the staff chaplain at Riley Hospital, a part of the ministerial team at
Robinson Community African tion and enthusiasm. However, she Methodist Episcopal Church in In- believes in today’s society, the dianapolis, the mother of three church is not equipped to handle daughters, the grandmother of three many issues, including domestic granddaughters, and a 16-year vie- violence, tim of domestic violence. “In many ways, the church keeps October, as it has been stated a family isolated if it is known they and repeated many times in the are victims of domestic violence,” past month, was Domestic Vio- said Williams. She did not feel at lence Awareness Month. Williams all as if there was support for her is very passionate about the sub- during her experience, ject as she talks about her expert- “There is nowhere to turn,” she ences, and the experiences of oth- said. ers she has known. Many people turn to their church She has written a perceptive for guidance in every aspect of analysis entitled “Domestic Vio- their lives. Williams feels it should lence: An Attitude of Social Si- be ready to support and handle the lence in the Theological Commu- problems of its parishioners. “The nity.” church must provide the essential Williams has been involved in resources that will promote healthe church since her childhood, ing,” said Williams. She has answered the call of God and serves the church with dedica- Sm DOMESTIC, Pag* A4
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