DC's 'second-class status' gets national attention
Jaline Quinto/Communications Manager, DC Vote
Issue date: 9/2/08 Section: Politics
In an election year where all eyes are on the right to vote, DC Vote is bringing the message of the District's denial of voting rights to two of the largest political gatherings in the nation - the 2008 Democratic National Convention (DNC) and the Republican National Convention (RNC).
"It's a critical time for DC Vote to educate tens of thousands of people about DC voting rights," said Ilir Zherka, DC Vote executive director. "There is a heightened awareness across the country of the importance of voting rights. What we are doing is taking advantage of opportunities to promote our message that more than half a million tax-paying Americans in our nation's capital are denied the American birthright of a vote in Congress."
The nearly 600,000 residents of the District of Columbia pay federal taxes, serve on juries and fight and die in wars but are denied voting representation in the House or Senate. Since early 2008, DC Vote has taken its message to five states to educate constituents about DC's status as second-class citizens. The next stops on DC Vote's road trip to the states are Denver and Minneapolis for the DNC and RNC.
Working with the DC Democratic State Committee, DC for Democracy, DC elected officials and more than 100 local volunteers, DC Vote planned a number of activities at the DNC, August 25-28, to raise awareness about DC's denial of a vote in Congress.
On Tuesday a music video co-produced by DC Vote was prominently featured at the Pepsi Center in Denver at press time. The video played before a speech on DC voting rights by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC).
Del. Norton addressed a group of 100 volunteers and delegates at a DNC briefing in DC last week. She stressed to the gathered crowd that they were responsible for telling everyone about DC voting rights.
"I'm not coming out on the stage [of the Pepsi Center] until I hear that song say 'in DC we demand the vote, in DC we demand the vote'," said Del. Norton of her DNC speech. "We're not like every state delegation - we're not going to the convention just to celebrate; we've got work to do."
"It's a critical time for DC Vote to educate tens of thousands of people about DC voting rights," said Ilir Zherka, DC Vote executive director. "There is a heightened awareness across the country of the importance of voting rights. What we are doing is taking advantage of opportunities to promote our message that more than half a million tax-paying Americans in our nation's capital are denied the American birthright of a vote in Congress."
The nearly 600,000 residents of the District of Columbia pay federal taxes, serve on juries and fight and die in wars but are denied voting representation in the House or Senate. Since early 2008, DC Vote has taken its message to five states to educate constituents about DC's status as second-class citizens. The next stops on DC Vote's road trip to the states are Denver and Minneapolis for the DNC and RNC.
Working with the DC Democratic State Committee, DC for Democracy, DC elected officials and more than 100 local volunteers, DC Vote planned a number of activities at the DNC, August 25-28, to raise awareness about DC's denial of a vote in Congress.
On Tuesday a music video co-produced by DC Vote was prominently featured at the Pepsi Center in Denver at press time. The video played before a speech on DC voting rights by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC).
Del. Norton addressed a group of 100 volunteers and delegates at a DNC briefing in DC last week. She stressed to the gathered crowd that they were responsible for telling everyone about DC voting rights.
"I'm not coming out on the stage [of the Pepsi Center] until I hear that song say 'in DC we demand the vote, in DC we demand the vote'," said Del. Norton of her DNC speech. "We're not like every state delegation - we're not going to the convention just to celebrate; we've got work to do."
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