LatinaLista — It can never be said enough that politics is dirty business.
Map of Dirty Politics – (Source: greatdreams.com)
Whether it’s the recent state or local elections or the on-going start of the presidential campaigns, all are evidence that politicians look out for themselves first — everything, and everyone, else is secondary.
But it’s one thing for politicians to stick it to each other but to stick it to the voters — well, that’s crossing a line that demands penalties for any campaign that is associated with such tactics.
Unfortunately, sticking it to Latino and African American voters has been standard practice in too many parts of the country for too long. By the time the damage is done, the culprit doesn’t worry because complaints fade away or penalties are mild slaps and it’s time for a new campaign to begin.
Yet, with the blogosphere, such unethical and immoral practices, can live on and evolve into almost an urban legend until the mystery of who perpetuated the evil deed is solved.
So, in the spirit of ensuring that the story of how certain Latinos were targeted in a recent Fort Worth election, we retell it in the hopes that practices like these cease to be recognized as a part of “normal” politics.
In August, five-term incumbent Wendy Davis, announced she was stepping down from her seat on the Fort Worth City Council to run for the state Senate.
Since she had only just won re-election in May, this left a big block of time left to represent the District 9 seat. As can be expected, there was more than one person interested in filling her seat.
Six contenders signed up to compete for votes to replace Davis. There was one Latino among the six — Juan Rangel.
Juan Rangel
Rangel was already a familiar figure to Fort Worth voters since he had successfully served 8 years on the local school board.
Throughout the campaign for the special election that was held on November 6 to fill Davis’ seat, the usual back-stabbing, sabotaging kind of politics took place. At one point, one of Rangel’s competitors’ campaign workers, a guy by the name of Randy Dukes, publicly followed the Latino candidate to an elementary school — filming him for everyone to see.
The campaign worker accused Rangel of illegally campaigning on school property but school officials disputed the allegation.
Clarke Principal Tony Martinez said Rangel called to say he would be at the school to pass out information about the bond program.
“All he had in his hands was the bond literature that the district has provided for the school,” Martinez said.
An unidentified woman also photographed Rangel, Martinez said.
The incident didn’t hurt Rangel because he was one of two from the six candidates who will be in a special runoff election in December. Ironically, the candidate he will be facing, Joel Burns, is the one whose campaign worker filmed Rangel at that school.
Rangel said he is concerned that Dukes was intimidating voters in the predominantly Hispanic neighborhood.
“He doesn’t have to be filming me,” Rangel said. “He doesn’t have to be following me. What’s wrong with coming up and asking me?”
Rangel expressed skepticism that Burns’ campaign wasn’t involved.
“What causes anybody, especially from another campaign, to be doing that?” Rangel asked. “It just really freaks me out.”
If that was all that happened, we would chalk it up to “normal” politics but that episode only forbode of things to come.
The special election was held on November 6, but mysteriously a flier appeared in English and Spanish and was distributed before the election in two predominantly Forth Worth Hispanic neighborhoods.
The fliers featured the county logo and the county elections office logo and urged everyone to do their part and get out and vote — on November 10!
Four days after the official election.
Since then, the Texas district office of the League of the United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) has requested a formal investigation from the U.S. Department of Justice to determine if the Voting Rights Act of 1965 has been violated with such a stunt.
Also, someone else has asked that the Justice Department investigate the source of the fliers — Rangel’s competitor.
In addition:
The Tarrant County district attorney’s office has started an inquiry to determine whether voting laws were violated, said Marvin Collins, chief of the office’s civil division. Investigators had found little information as of Monday, he said.
And in the old days, that’s probably where an investigation would have died. But these are new times and these tactics to blatantly disenfranchise voters deserves to be taken very seriously and investigated until it is found who was the mastermind behind the tactic.
If found to be associated with a specific campaign, with knowledge from high-level campaign workers/candidates, there should not be just a hefty fine but some prison time.
After all, purposely taking away people’s opportunity to vote is a far worse crime than what 12 million Latinos are being accused of these days.
Comment(39)
Liquidmicro
This was a decent/good article about the election up to the point of: “After all, purposely taking away people’s opportunity to vote is a far worse crime than what 12 million Latinos are being accused of these days.”
Remove this, and you have a good/telling article about dirty politics as your headline describes.
EYES OF TEXAS
Could you have expected anything else as Marisas closing statement? Victimizing illegal aliens and villianizing those that don’t support them is her job. If these folks were so politically minded and actually intended to vote, they would have been aware of the correct date for voting. Most of the Hispanics that I know could give a flip about voting because they realize most politicians promise them the world, then deliver on nothing once in office.
Frank
I agree, comparing that to the illegal invasion of our country is ridiculous. Besides why is it being stated “12 million Latino”? Why not just use the words illegal aliens and they aren’t all Latinos anyway. I see the victim card for the raza being played here.
EYES OF TEXAS
I will be marching tomarrow in protest of the Security & Prosperity Partnership of North America and the establishment of a North American Union. It is being organized as a patriotic march to save American sovereignty and to enforce existing immigration laws. There are several cities across the nation that will be having such a march and I encourage all American patriots to participate if it is in your city. Look for “March for America” on the net for more info.
“The simple truth is that we’ve lost control of our borders, and no Nation can do that and survive. We ignore America’s lost sovereignty at our own peril”
Ronald Reagan
charles
“EyesofTexas” please change your screen name so the rest of Texas isn’t tarred with your racist sympathizing. Both you and Frank are hideous embarrassments to our state. As someone who was born and lived most of my life in Texas i know one thing about immigrants from Mexico, they work harder and believe much more strongly in the ideals of America and the constitution than the bigots who try to hurt them. i’ll take an illegal immigrant over a legal bigot anyday.
the last section makes a great point: for all the whining about “lawbreakers” that comes from hispanic-hating bigots, those who come to this country illegally break the border laws out of need, but the people who oppose them break the law , too, only out of hatred and spite.
and i’m sure she used the word “Latino” instead of “illegal immigrant” because she knows those hassling them are hassling them more because they’re Latino than because they came here illegally.
“eyesoftexas”, enjoy your march, and don’t forget your robe and burning cross.
charles
and oh by the way, Ronald Reagan supported amnesty!
Horace
“and oh by the way, Ronald Reagan supported amnesty!”
Ronald Reagan didn’t support the fraudulent naturalizations and continued illegal immigration that followed. We’ve learned the lesson that amnesties beget amnesties, yet we still have idiots that want us to repeat the same mistakes yet expecting to get different results.
Frank
As usual the pro-illegals and anti-American laws people like Charles pulls the race card because they have no viable arguments as to why we should accept an illegal invasion of our country.
miguel
frank… Do you ever think that you will live long enough to achieve the lily white America that you dream about? You keep bringing up race as if it was a sore spot in your life and blame others for your own demons.
Let it go frank. Accept the laws of this country as the founding fathers wanted and at least try to talk to the OTW.
Jesus will still love you.
Frank
miguel, I don’t dream of lving in a lily white America. Don’t accuse of things I have never said nor implied.
What are you talking about? I don’t continually talk about race. Please quote me then.
I don’t have any demons, therefore I can’t blame anyone for them. Again, what are you talking about?
I, like the majority of Americans want secure borders and our immigration laws enforced against any illegal intruders. How is that being racist? Is the U.S. government racist then because they implemented immigration laws? That is essentially what you are saying.
miguel
frank… Do not be ridiculous with stating that the U.S. Government could be remotely racist. The racist side is in your previous comments that the BP should be given a shoot first option when they spot undocumented immigrants trying to cross into the country. I say arrest them first, ask questions then do what the law dictates. Don’t advocate a shoot first policy where innocents looking for a better life get caught up by your interpretation of the laws as they are now on the books.
Your wish for a shoot first policy is not the law…yet.
Frank
miguel, I think you must have me mixed up with some other poster in here. I didn’t say a shoot first was policy was desirable. “Stop or I’ll shoot” could be a viable option, in otherwords a warning first. That is what law enforcement already does internally. But I am still not an advocate of violence unless law enforcement is threatened with violence first.
By the way those who violate our immigration laws under the premise that they are looking for a better life are not innocents, they are law breakers. A terrorist could say the same thing and how would we know any different?
miguel
Frank was it you that stated many posts back that you are or were married to a Mexican. Maybe it was Horace or EOT or freak. Maybe liquid. I tried searching for the poster. One poster in this group stated that they had adopted a full Mesican and he was their son. How would you frank or he the father explain the view held towards his kind? He is a US citizen by now I assume but if he is full Mexican he ould have a hard time passing for white. So how would you answer the child if he is questi0on by ICE just based on the color of his skin.
I have my papers so it is easy to show them but a child without his parents?
charles
Raygun supported amnesty, plain and simple. it is a flat out lie to state otherwise.
this is not about “lawbreaking,” the same people who whine about immigrants breaking the law surely break laws on their own. almost every American routinely breaks traffic laws, leading to literally thousands of deaths on the road. the difference is immigrants may break border laws out of desperation and ot help feed their families, while Americans break laws out of convenience: “i want to get where i’m going 5 minutes sooner, so i’ll drive too fast.” BIG difference.
this isn’t about lawbreaking, it’s about RACE. “they’re changing our culture,” how much more obvious could that be? my only agreement with the haters is that immigrants do change US culture, only i think they improve it, by their hard work and belief in American ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. while the haters obviously don’t.
message to haters: this is a nation of immigrants, if you don’t like it, leave it!
Frank
miguel, no I am not married to a Mexican.
charles, so since some Americans break our own laws that means we should accept the illegal invasion of our country? What are you smoking?
Here you go with the race card again. Of course, we want our country to retain it’s natural identity, culture, language and heritage. What is racist about that? Doesn’t Mexico want to remain Mexican culturally, doesn’t Italy want to remain Italian culturally? Whats wrong with that? No country wants their identity changed especialy thru illegal immigration. That isn’t even natural!
So to want our immigration laws enforced and yet still allow in legal immigrants is to be a hater? What kind of weird thinking is that?
No, we are no longer a nation of immigrants. We are a nation of American citizens now by several generations. Most all countries take in immigrants. Does that also make them a nation of immigrants because of that? We have millions more citizens in our country than immigrants. We are in this day and age a nation of American citizens. This isn’t the early 1900’s anymore.
Horace
Miguel, you seem to stereotype all Mexicans as being brown. Well, that’s not the case. There are brown, black and white Mexicans. Calderon for instance, appears to be of pure Spanish blood. Tell me this Miguel, isn’t it true that there’s racism among Mexicans? Tell me it isn’t true that caucasian Mexicans descriminate against Amerindians and that a caucasian wouldn’t be under pressure by his family to marry within his race. Tell me that Amerindians don’t prefer to marry within their races. Tell me that an Amerindian or brown Mexican’s family wouldn’t become upset at marrying a white gringo. Tell me that these things aren’t so.
miguel
Horace what you say is true but again you are dealing with the past. The Mexicans from the last 500 years or so are very mixed and most have color to their skin. There is no restrictions for most to marry a gringo in that most people are color blind and do not give the light skin of most gringos the importance you want to give it.
What you are calling caucasian Mexicans is the same group that has most of the money in Mexico. Yes, just like here they discriminate against people of color. Black Mexicans are in the same boat they are here in the uS to a degree. They were also brought as slaves and suffer the same type of discrimination there. Our native people do try to stay withing the tribal groupings and I hope the continue to as long as they can to save the bloodlines. The low economic scale they are on makes it very difficult.
What does this have to do with anything. Just a fact of history. A large part of my family is white as in gringo. We all share the same love of country that I hope you do. We just do not have that underlying thing that you put into every posting that reeks of thinking your way is the only way. It is not. Respect for others has a lot to do with it.
miguel
Horace wrote:
and that a caucasian wouldn’t be under pressure by his family to marry within his race. Money is the driving factor. Marry in the same money band. That is what is important. Same trait here within the rich.
Frank
miguel, interesting that you should say that your native people try to preserve their bloodlines and yet when Whites want to preserve their bloodlines by staying the majority in the U.S. it is considered racist. Sounds like a double standard to me.
Illegal immigration is against the law and yet you make deragatory statement about us who follow the law as in your statment, “thinking our way is the only way”. It is the ONLY way because it is the LAW.
Respect begets respect when immigrants follow our laws. They get no respect if they don’t, and rightly so.
miguel
Frank, Where in the post that you get that immigration was being discussed or was the reason for the post. Your knee jerk posting with everything being about your ‘illegal’ fear clouds your reasoning. What is in your bloodline Frank?
Pure by never leaving your castle?
charles
Frank, you’re missing out on two things that make America great:
one is our tradition of fighting against, rather than acquiescing to, unfair immoral laws. from slavery to segregation to unfiar treatment of immigrants. the hypcrisy of people who break laws out of convenience but then get self-righteous about others breaking laws out of need is disgusting and not just unAmerican, but inhuman.
the second is that, like it or not, this is a nation of immgrants, like NO OTHER COUNTRY ON EARTH. there is no “natural” character that makes us Ameican. the closest we could come to a “natural” culture of this land would be that of Native Americans, so if you’re so high on clinging to our “natural traditions” you should be fighting for a return to indiginous traditions.
the real American culture is a complete mash-up of the cultures of all the people who have come here, from Europe, Africa, Latin America, Asia, all over the world. that’s what makes us unique and wonderful. this culture is EVERCHANGING. it was changed when different waves of immigration came from different areas. American nativist bigots claimed at times that the Irish were ruining our culture, that the Italians were ruining our culture, etc. etc. today they claim Hispanic people are ruining “our” culture. that thinking is positively UNAMERICAN.
America, except for American nativism, is beautiful proof of the value of mixing different peoples and cultures to make a uniquely American culture. it’s not the property of people who came from Europe/ there is no reason to say now “enough change, enough new people, we’re staying just like this forever.” it’s never been like that in our history, it won’t be like that in our future.
to claim that American culture means non-Hispanic culture is a lie, and an obvious racist clie. Hispanic culture is deeply woven in the fabric of American culture, it’s one of many beautiful parts of our culture. to single out one cultural influence and say “that’s ruining America” is openly bigoted. if you want to say it and advocate it, that’s your right (another great American tradtion) but you have to own it, own up to it. it is racism. it is unAmerican.
Frank
miguel, illegal immgiration does come into play when speaking of a nation of citizens wanting to retain it’s cultural and racial identity. When you have millions of illegal aliens not racially or culturally like the majority of the country thay are invading, a natural displacement of it will occur. Mexicans want to retain their natural racial identity and culture in their country and yet we are called racists for wanting the same for the U.S.
I am white with ancestors from many different countries in Europe. I even have some from Spain.
charles, we have immigration laws we must honor them and those who follow them rather than demonizing them, until and unless they are changed. Calling people racists for honoring our laws is ridiculous.
Sorry that you don’t know what culture this country was founded on and is still the majority culture in this country. It wasn’t based on native indian culture when this country became the U.S. We are no longer a nation of immigrants but a nation of Americans by several generations now that still takes in legal immigrants just like any other country does. Is every country a nation of immigrants then, rather than a nation of their own citizens? We have melded into one culture from many cultures but we still have a basic identity and culture. Others are only minority cultures in this country. There is nothing bigoted about reality and the truth, we are not Hispanic culturally.
Let me give you Mexico as an example. They are a country that is Hispanic culturally. That doesn’t change just because there are some anglos living there. I wouldn’t blame Mexico one bit if they objected to their natural culture becoming the minority one due to a huge illegal anglo invasion of their country.
charles
Frank, your willful ignorance about American culture is stunning. if we were to believe you, this country would be a mini-England, we would all follow English culture. when’s the last time you had tea and crumpets? we are not like England, we are not like Mexico, we are unique in our status as a nation of immigrants.
this country has been, is , and will continue to be an amalgam of ALL OF THE CULTURES who’ve sent immgrants here, including Franks. Frank and others want to remove the Mexican influence. that is, by definition, bigoted. Now that’s OK for him personally, Americans are totally free to pick and choose which parts of our culture they’ll celebrate and value, and which they’ll ignore. and unfortunately bigotry, too, is a part of our culture.
so altho Frank would deny others that right, i think Frank has the right to choose what parts of American culture he wants to celebrate and which he wants to dismiss. unfortunately it seems the racist part is what he likes the most, while the Hispanic part is the part he dislikes the most. i feel the opposite. I think any hardworking illegal immigrant is more worthy of respect than any US born bigot.
Horace
My God, Charles, your arguments are so convincing that I think EOT, Frank, myself, Liquidmicrol et al, are on the verge of an epiphany!
miguel
Horace, Two of the men in the group were or are married to Mexican women and one even has an adopted Mexican son. Do either one of you men with Mexicans in your life have an opinion of Franks or Horaces views or are you in accord?
Just seems weird that their comments do not seem to be influenced by who they insult.
Frank
charles, did I say that this country is exactly like England culturally? No, I didn’t but there is more British influence in our culture than any other. The Hispanic culture, Vietnamese culture, Chinese culture, etc. are all minority cultures in this country. Sorry if that bothers you so much. It doesn’t bother me that Mexico is Hispanic culturally. You can’t change reality. We have a dominant culture that has adopted English as it’s main language and we are more culturally like the British than any other.
Did I say I wanted to eliminate the Mexican influence or that I dislke Hispanic culture? No, I did not! I just want Mexicans to come here legally as they are the biggest offenders in our illegal immigration problem.
No, no illegal immigrant has the right to come here just because they are hard working. If that were true then we would have half of the world’s citizens in our country. Why do you care so little about American citizens and their rights?
Can’t you debate without race card pulling? This has nothing to do with race!!! So to want our bordes secured and for immigrants to come legally and to honor our laws is to be bigoted? That is really lame.
charles
Horace, i don’t expect to change the mind of a bigot like you, i just think when you spew out your poison it should be answered.
Frank, again, your insistence that we are locked into following English culture is total BS. it’s just laughable. we declared independence from England you moron! jeezus, i’ve heard alot of ridiculous arguements about immigration but you’re the first person i’ve ever heard who will actually stand by the US as a mini-England.
this is a democracy, our culture will be decided by ALL the people who live here (which is why the bigots are trying to keep Mexicans out), not just by those who got here first (and again, if we’re to play that silly game it’s Native American culture, not English that we’d follow.)
you have revealed yourself to be the quintessential bigot. because your ancestors came from England, you say they’re the “real” culture. “my people matter, my culture is important, others aren’t.” this is America, if you love English culture so much i suggest you move there.
this story is about happenings in Texas. the Mexican influence has been, still is, and will always remain to be a far greater influence in Texas than the English one. if you don’t like it, MOVE. we could certainly do with less bigots here. those of us lucky enough not be ignorant bigots will stay and enjoy the heck out of ALL the wonderful cultures that have shaped Texas, the Czecks, Poles, Germans, Mexicans, Africans, even the Norwegians (ever been to Clifton?), and yes the English, who were a vital PART in shaping our culture.
US culture is as wide as the universe, those who say “my culture is the only one that matters,” are BY DEFINITION bigots. own it Frank and Horace: the culture you’re trying to preserve is one of bigotry.
Frank
charles, you arguments and reasoning and misinterpretations of mine and other’s posts is truly amazing! The truth is that you want the U.S. to become more culturally like Mexico but you won’t admit your own racist agenda. What if I said I wanted Mexico to become anglo in culture?
I don’t know what you mean by being locked into English culture. Our culture has remained pretty much the same since we became the USA. Why do you have a problem with that? I don’t have a problem with Mexico remaining a Hispanic nation culturally. How arrogant and insensitive of you.
I could say the same to you. If you don’t like American culture then move to Mexico! We are not a Hispanic nation culturally. Too bad you don’t like it. Don’t let the door hit you in the behind when you leave.
American culture is not based on being more important than other cultures of other countries. It is just that it is what it is in identity. You want to live in a Hispanic country, then move to one! Why does it bother you so much that “from many came one”? That “one” has an identity all it’s own. The English language is our language for one example.
What is bigoted about any country wanting to retain it’s natural identity? Why would any country want to lose that through illegal immgiration? Are you kidding me?
charles
thanks again Frank for your open embrace of bigotry and racism, what a great guy you are!
Frank, from earlier:
“…a nation of citizens wanting to retain it’s cultural and racial identity. When you have millions of illegal aliens not racially or culturally like the majority of the country thay are invading…”
who’s playing the race card? your words prove you are a racist, plain and simple. this is not an “English” nation, it’s not a Hispanic nation, it’s the USA, a mix of all. i’m not telling trying to ship out English people, i value all cultures in the US, you only value yours, that is the definition of a bigot. your words also prove you ahve zero knowledge of US history or cultuure. it has NOT been the same for 300 years, it changes constantly. it changed when immigranst from Ireland came, when immigrants from Italy came, when immigrnats from Latin America came, when Africans were integrated, when Chinese immigrants came.
i am done with you. you are one of the most ignorant and racist people i’ve ever had the bad luck to come across. you need to climb back in your slimey hole and leave alone the real Americans, those who value all of the beautiful cultures we are lucky to have here.
i’ll repeat, almost ANY hardworking illegal immigrant is a better American than you are. you are a disgrace to this country.
Frank
charles, you are the ignorant one. You just keep denying reality about the identity of our nation. That’s because you want so badly for it to become Hispanicized and anyone objecting to it is a racist in your opinion. Of course if I were to suggest that Mexico become anglonized in identity by illegal immigration you would have a fit, wouldn’t you? You obviously are oblivious to what “E Pluribus Unum” means. “Out of many are ONE”! Our BASIC identity did not change with each wave of immigrants that came from different countries. They assimilated to our society.
I never said that I didn’t value different cultures, all I am saying is that the U.S. has a culture all it’s own. You just can’t stand it that our mainstream culture is not Hispanic. That English is our language and not Spanish.
I am the racist? How racist is to advocate the illegal invasion of our country by one’s own ethnic kind and then turn around and demonize loyal Americans because they don’t agree with you? Look in the mirror, charles! No, you and those who think like you are a disgrace to the U.S. and real Americans aren’t going to put up with the racist traitors like yourself anymore.
Diana Joe
Frank go gobble up a turkey or something..
just for this year again-
“No thanks-Not Giving”
Frank
Thanks, I plan to. I will also reflect on what a great nation this is and the need to keep it that way.
Horace
“i am done with you. you are one of the most ignorant and racist people i’ve ever had the bad luck to come across. you need to climb back in your slimey hole and leave alone the real Americans, those who value all of the beautiful cultures we are lucky to have here.”
We’ll all miss your charm and wit, Charles. Ta, ta!
Frank
charles, and you should look in the dictionary as to what racism really means as you obviously haven’t a clue. You should get help with your reading comprehension problem too as I never said any of the things that you are accusing me of. You have a hate filled agenda towards any American for the rule of law in this country. That is so typical of those on your side of the issue and for no other reason than your own irrational, racist, ethnocentric agenda.
Horace
It is evident by the fact that Hispanic culture dominates from Tierra del Fuego to the U.S. Mexico border. And yet, within this culture, conditions for democracy a socioeconomic justice have not flourished. Only in two nations in North America, the U.S. and Canada, mainly of northern and eastern European culture have produced favorable conditions for their people. Some might say that this new invasion and demands of acceptance of Latin Americans without assimilation is just a case of cultural imperialism. Hispanics won’t be satisfied until their culture dominates from pole to pole, and the cultural heritage that founded this country is relegated to the dust bin of history. I’m sure that they’ll eventually be satisfied when they rewrite the history of our founding and Hispanic names replace those of the the Anglo-Saxon Founding Fathers in the history books.
Frank
I agree Horace. It is ethnocentric arrogance at its finest. Reminds me of Hitler when he was not satisfied with just having Germany, he wanted the whole Euopean continent for a pure white race. Hatred and racism drove his genocidal agenda.
It appears that Latinos are of the same mindset. They are not satisfied with having all of Mexico, South and Latin America. They want to dominate the whole western hemisphere and anyone who objects to it is called a racist.
charles
Frank & Horace, go back under your rocks and leave the decent people here alone.
to others, i know the racists are the loudest, but they DO NOT represent the views of most white Americans, any more than the KKK did or does.
Horace
Charles, I thought we’d heard your swan song in a few comments back. I’m sorry to say that you’re a bit presumptive if you think that an inarticulate bood like yourself could ever talk cogently on any subject of substance.
frank
charles, myself and Horace are among the majority of Americans who are opposed to illegal immigration and we aren’t members of any racist organizations. You are just projecting that on us because we make a good case against illegal immigration. Neither of us has shown nor implied any racsim in our views. You are the typical pro-illegal just throwing out the race card because it is your side who are the racists, not us.
I am opposed to all racist organizations but if you think that there aren’t any on your side of the issue, you are truly delusional. Yet you don’t see Horace and I accusing you of belonging to them, do you?
Try debating civilly without personal insults.
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