The other day I responded to an entry that pertained to the ratings-bump Obama experienced during the Sotomayor nomination. That comment, which violated no rules, was hidden by a pair of users because they took offense with a single word used to describe the current occupant of the Oval Office. The word is "dictator," and it is the unvarnished truth. Unfortunately, the truth is too much for far too many alleged left-wingers to handle.
The abusers of the rating system are TValley and fbihop. Without offering so much as one word of argument, one challenge to my description of Obama, my comment was hidden for no other reason than the two individuals who troll-rated it found the truth unpleasant. Regardless of whether one agrees with such an assessment of the guy or not, the comment violated no terms of service and did not deserve to be hidden. I request that the hide-rating be annulled and my comment restored to visibility within the thread. I also request more strenuous oversight of the rating privileges so that such abuse is weeded out. Otherwise, we risk this site turning into another Daily Kos.
Despite reports of voter registration barriers, voter intimidation, and non-compliance with voting rights law in recent elections, it appears that state legislatures and Congress are not actively focusing on the real issues in election administration. Considering the current economic state, almost the only attention that election reform is getting is through messy, partisan fueled debates to require photo voter ID on the state level-a fight that, just last week, quietly brought Utah to the list of eight other states that go beyond the Help America Vote Act in voter ID requirements. In recent Congressional hearings regarding voter registration and other election issues experienced in 2008, a number of groups have expressed their concerns with the current voting system and its impact on voters.
After the voters spoke last November by turning out in record numbers, we enter a new year with a new president and multiple new agendas for election administration in the states that bring both excitement and concern from voting rights advocates. Whether the discussion is about upholding the landmark Voting Rights Act, the disenfranchisement that comes with voter ID, or even the distribution of provisional ballots, the conclusion remains the same: we should work to protect and facilitate every eligible citizens' right to vote, not impede it.
Despite growing political interest among Americans, this November millions of people who "live, work and raise families in our communities" will be denied the right to elect our next president as a result of a past felony conviction. Felon disenfranchisement has raised concerns among advocates and legislators that such laws further perpetuate disparities not only in the electorate, but also in society.
