NAT'L COALITION OF 100 BLACK WOMEN, STONE MOUNTAIN-LITHONIA CHAPTER Supports Caging Prohibition Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) November 13, 2007 -- Stone Mountain, GA November 12, 2007 --- The Stone Mountain-Lithonia Chapter (NCBWSML) of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, strongly supports the passage of the Caging Prohibition Act. Introduced last week by U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) along with twelve other U.S. Senators, this proposed legislation, if enacted, will be a vital tool in our arsenal of laws drafted to protect our hard fought civil rights and is in the spirit of our U.S. Constitution.

The bill, if passed, will put an end to the egregious voter suppression tactic of “caging”. [Caging occurs when anonymous group(s) and/or individual(s) send mail marked “do not forward” or “return to sender” to the homes of targeted individuals’ e.g. minorities and those who live in minority neighborhoods with the clear intent to have them deemed ineligible by challenging their residency thereby challenging their right to vote.] A list is compiled from returned mail and fraudulently used to challenge the targeted citizen’s right to vote on the basis that the voter does not live at the address where he or she is registered.

The registrations’ of over 900 Georgia Southern University Student’s were challenged last month through this mean spirited use of caging. “Gimmicks to disenfranchise eligible citizens from exercising their right to vote is blatantly anti-American and must stop – the act of caging harkens back to the “Jim Crow” days preceding passage of the 1964/’65 Voting Rights and Civil Rights legislation – laws good people fought and died to enact!”, said Lynita M. Mitchell-Blackwell, NCBWSML President.

“We are concerned and urge vigilance - voter caging and other corrupt voter suppression practices must not be used during the 2008 election cycle to disenfranchise targeted minority groups, college students, and military personnel currently stationed overseas. It is imperative that all of our citizens are protected from these sinister practices. Therefore, we strongly support the passage of the Caging Prohibition Act.”

NCBWSML is an advocacy organization dedicated to bringing “voice” to the issues that concern women of color. For further information, contact Lynita M. Mitchell-Blackwell at (641) 715-3800 code 283565.

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