YOU MUST VOTE!!!

Cast A History-Making (Not A Fear-Based) Vote!

By Maitefa Angaza

My appeal to Black New Yorkers: Don’t waste a vote that our ancestors died for, but summon some of the courage they displayed. We’re not facing dogs or death, only our consciences. Andrew Cuomo will win without our votes because Carl Paladino hasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell of becoming New York’s next governor. (Do some quick research.)

Meanwhile, Cuomo flaunts his disregard for the Black community. For example, he has the authority to call for a special prosecutor in the murder of Danroy Henry, the young Pace University football player killed by police while sitting in his car. (The local police have already circled the wagons and slandered the victim, so the chances of a fair trial are, as usual, not good.) But Cuomo isn’t going to do address the issue because he doesn’t have to work for the Black vote; he figures he’ll get it anyway.

Remember that major media swore Michael Bloomberg would win reelection as mayor by 18 points. Then they pretended they were “Shocked!” when he won by only 4.58 points after spending $21 million. This was in spite of the Democratic party’s racist lack of support for their own candidate (they didn’t put much energy or money behind Thompson until the very last minute). New York City would have a Mayor Bill Thompson right now if more of us had voted. Instead, too many were victims of a vote-suppression campaign. Let’s not fall for it again, thinking, “What’s the difference?”

Although Cuomo is projected to win by a landslide, you can make a huge difference by voting for Charles Barron. If Barron gets enough votes, the Freedom Party will have permanent ballot status, the first Black-and Latino-led party to accomplish this in the nation’s history. Barron needed only 15,000 signatures to get the Freedom Party on the ballot for this election: he got 43,500! He now needs only 50,000 votes to get the party permanent status, let’s make sure he gets them.

The Green Party got started with only 52,000 votes and the Working Families Party squeaked by with 50,000 (by machine recount). The Freedom Party, co-chaired by longtime activist Jitu Weusi, can easily make its mark if we lift even our little finger to help! Barron and his running mates Eva Doyle (lieutenant governor) and Ramon Jimenez (attorney general) are only the first of many candidates the Freedom Party will run in years to come, candidates who don’t need many millions or wealthy backers in order to make it onto a ballot. Your vote will also demonstrate that we can no longer be taken for granted by the Democratic Party, which revealed its true sentiments toward the Black community by its shameful treatment of Governor David Paterson. True respect is earned.

Turn out to vote and let your vote make a difference!