The Benton Harbor Trend: African Americans Targeted By Rick Snyder

By: Sarah JonesApr. 18th, 2011more from Sarah Jones

The Benton Harbor Trend: African Americans Targeted By Rick Snyder was written by Sarah Jones for PoliticusUSA.

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16 Responses to The Benton Harbor Trend: African Americans Targeted By Rick Snyder

novenator

Apr. 18th, 2011 at 6:45 pm

The Republicans know the demographic trends are working against them, which is why they are engaging in this blatantly anti-democratic power grab right now. From gerrymandering districts to ensure Republican majorities in government, to attacking traditional organized bases of democratic support like unions, to trying to disenfranchise minority voters, the GOP is taking a stab at authoritarianism right freakin’ now. Fight back!
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- Sarah Jones
  
  Apr. 18th, 2011 at 6:58 pm
  
  I am exceptionally troubled by what this means for the long term as well as the short term for these folks. Without jobs, votes, and any sort of help along with increased taxes, how will they eat? How will they have any sort of say in what goes on in their community? Please help these folks amplify their voices. This is wrong. Morally and ethically and democratically wrong.
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  - Hrafnkell Haraldsson
    
    Apr. 19th, 2011 at 7:04 am
    
    Sarah, just when I think the Tea Party has bottomed out I see this. Thank you for writing it. We need these reminders that people are suffering out there under this corporate oligarchy. This is why we fight. This is why we must win.
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Reynardine

Apr. 18th, 2011 at 7:14 pm

This is the Eben Emael maneuver. Faced with a national power structure they couldn’t take over frontally, the Dissocialists dropped behind the lines, into the state houses and governor’s chairs, to disable “constituencies” that had empowered their “enemies”. They even did so under false colors, running as “moderates” on false platforms, and even, in one case I can think of, as a “Democrat” (he didn’t get elected). Capturing the fort from behind, so to speak, now gives them weapons they can turn on the people whom it was built to defend.

I don’t actually blame myself in this: I voted in the last election, urged friends to vote for the anti- gerrymandering amendments and against a couple of bizarrely worded amendments that would have curtailed our rights, and voted against the Cabinet candidate I rightly suspected was a ringer. But like, I suspect, many of us, I was more focused on U.S. races than state and local ones, whose results, I thought, could not be nearly as far reaching. I was wrong. This stealth attack was part of a concerted national strategy, and now that our guns are being turned on us, we’re going to have a Hell of a time getting them back.
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- Villainesse
  
  Apr. 19th, 2011 at 12:41 am
  
  Democracy is clearly being targeted. Here in California we did not fall for the big money state candidates, but in my true blue hometown, the council is now corporate. Over in my mom’s homestate of Wisconsin, Walker is readying his own snyderesque takeovers of towns and school districts. We’d better get smart fast or we’ll have nothing left to defend.
  
  Thanks for the historical reference.
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Cassandra Vert

Apr. 18th, 2011 at 8:09 pm

Terrific post, Sarah.

I think the motivation comes from the same place as the bills to make it harder for known left-leaning cohorts to vote: suppress dissent.
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Mike Kay

Apr. 18th, 2011 at 8:56 pm

Nice post. Snyder must go!

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Teacher in Cheeseland

Apr. 18th, 2011 at 10:11 pm

Absolutely powerful and insightful analysis. If it is so easy to do in Michigan, I can’t believe that all these other power-grabbing governments won’t be jumping on board soon. It’s deplorable. Everyone, let your government know that it is not right–not in your state, not in Michigan, not anywhere.
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Oldsun

Apr. 18th, 2011 at 11:13 pm

This sicken me, how in the hell is this constitutional. What happens when it is found out not to be so, who is going to pay?
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Reynardine

Apr. 18th, 2011 at 11:25 pm

I am still a little to virusy to give this serious attention, but it strikes me that a writ of quo warranto might lie, in addition to any of the more contemporary remedies.
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Rmuse

Apr. 18th, 2011 at 11:27 pm

Good on you Sarah! Bringing this travesty to light is what we need. When are these maniacs going to stop? This blatant racism cannot stand. The only way to stop it is publicity and you’ve put the spotlight on that POS Snyder. The Nazis are going to subvert the Constitution until someone stops them and it will not be the Koch’s SCOTUS. Public outrage is the only answer until we have a Judiciary that slaps people like Snyder, Walker et al down. Anger isn’t the best emotion to affect change, but in this case it is the right emotion.
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Reynardine

Apr. 18th, 2011 at 11:28 pm

Mistakenly posted twice, when I interrupted a send to correct a spelling error. Whatever the virus going around these parts, it’s tenacious.
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Anne

Apr. 19th, 2011 at 12:19 am

It’s a blatant power grab that I’ve never before seen in my lifetime. What exacerbates it is the blatant racism, which enables Snyder and his henchmen to blithely disregard the havoc they are wreaking on countless lives. However, being white offers no protection against the wrecking ball that Snyder’s policies have proven to be. Any major upheaval in any part of the state will have far-reaching effects elsewhere in Michigan.
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Eclectablog

Apr. 19th, 2011 at 8:30 am

Great information. I encourage you to follow my ongoing reporting/coverage of this at Eclectablog (eclectablog.com).
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- Shiva (Moderator)
  
  Apr. 19th, 2011 at 8:47 am
  
  Nice reporting
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Philip Taylor

Apr. 19th, 2011 at 10:47 pm

Seeing as how so many of the key players in this drama on the Republican side are affiliated with corporate interests in the immediate St. Joseph – Benton Harbor area (especially Whirlpool) is it possible the entire EMF law itself was created with this one specific land grab in mind? Or possibly this one and several others yet to come.
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