Petition drive draws criticism
State anti-affirmative action petition drive draws criticism

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By Devona Walker
Published: February 21, 2008

The backers of an anti-affirmative action petition drive in Oklahoma were accused Wednesday of voter fraud.
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Tactics used to gather signatures of black and Hispanic voters by the Oklahoma Civil Rights Initiative went beyond political spin, critics said at a news conference Wednesday. They said petition-gatherers lied to voters about what they were signing.

"We think we can and will stop it from going on the ballot,” said Shanta Driver, attorney and national spokeswoman for By Any Means Necessary, a national coalition aimed at defending affirmative action, integration and immigrant rights. "This was racially-targeted voter fraud.

"We've had people come up to us, who are labor leaders, say they were embarrassed because they signed this petition. They thought they were signing a petition that sought to do the exact opposite.

"We believe they lied to voters about the intent and content of the petition they were signing.”

The Oklahoma Civil Rights Initiative seeks to put a measure before Oklahoma voters that would ban government-sponsored race and gender preferences in public education, state hiring and the awarding of public contracts.

What the other guy says
"This goofy group always makes these ridiculous charges. If we would have said this initiative bans affirmative action, we would have been throwing out the baby with the bath water,” said Ward Connerly, head of the American Civil Rights Institute.

Connerly, who lives in California and was interviewed by telephone, is a black Republican who has spearheaded opposition to racial and gender preferences in employment and education.

"This initiative says there should be no preferential treatment to anyone,” Connerly said.

Also attending the news conference were members of the NAACP, black Oklahoma legislators and members of the Democratic Party.

Other allegations
The group alleges the petition included unregistered voters and duplicate signatures. There are some pages where all the signatures were in the same handwriting. Other pages show multiple signers used the same mailing address, Driver said. Driver also said there is evidence petition-gatherers collected names at homeless shelters.

Connerly said his campaign is looking into the possibility of duplicate signatures.

"Duplicate signatures, it's not only defrauding the people, it's defrauding us because we had to pay for those ... signatures,” Connerly said.

The Oklahoma Civil Rights Initiative submitted 2,000 signatures — more than necessary — to place the measure on the ballot. The Oklahoma Secretary of State found some duplication and irregularities. It is still unclear if the office will certify the petition or defer to the state Supreme Court.

Many black and Hispanic community leaders have labeled Connerly a sellout to right-wing financial backers. He has waged successful campaigns in states such as California and Michigan. He has also managed to keep affirmative action supporters on edge in multiple states.

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Related Topics: Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, Law, Affirmative Action, Social Issues, Racial Issues, Hispanic and Latino Issues, Special Interest Groups


Comments

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John, thank you for commenting. I get really frustrated with so much bureaucracy. Will affirmative action do away with studying Native peoples someday? We seem to be all "subjects" in this whole quest for research dollars. Race = $$$
I too question compensation regarding our IIM (Individual Indian Monies) accounts. I see 2 or 3 oil wells on Indian trust land owned by an individual, yet that person doesn't see much change in monetary compensation for drilling on their land. In questioning the BIA Superintendant about their account balances, they turn bureaucrat. I feel that not everyone who is "Native American" should have a claim to compensation. It should either be if they have direct ownership to trust land or, being a member of a federally recognized tribe, it goes to their tribe who then decides what to do with it, either per capita payments or give to social programs to assist tribal members who demonstrate a need.
EyeSpy, All Over The Place - Feb 25, 2008 3:01 PM
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Well Chris, with all federal bureaus, you get a bureaucracy. When the government hands out entitlements they tend to do a lot of qualification of who gets those benefits. Now recently, the Native American tribes of the U.S. are winning a federal suit against the USA for mismanagement of federal trust funds. When it is finally paid somewhere in 2009, each member of a tribe will collect on it. While antiquated, the tribal registry is the only system in place to hand out these payments. The only alternative is DNA testing. The same thing would happen if race reparations were ever applied. The only way to determine if a person's family was a victim of slavery would be to take a known sample from existing known slave decedents and only pay them. But there is a flaw even in that. A person could have grown up as a free African Black person in Africa and immigrated to the USA yesterday and test positive for being related to a line of slaves. Its all about entitlements. Maybe the USA could issue a race reparation check to all citizens like the tax rebate. You could argue that slavery ruined the USA and all for which it stands and is such an iniquity that even to today the stain is seen everywhere like it happened yesterday.
John, Stigler - Feb 21, 2008 10:57 PM
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I was approached at the State Fair last year to sign this particular petition. I turned it down. What about Native people here in Oklahoma. Did you know that we are the ONLY class of people who have to submit "documentation" to PROVE our blood-line? They do that to animals. Why does the "dominant class" treat us as this? The U.S. Government requires us to do this.... prove our decendency!!! 150 years and the government still treats us as animals. Even the B.I.A. (Bureau of Indian Affairs) acts "in our best interest." Non-Indian people! Speak up now! Demand for a Bureau of White People!!!
EyeSpy, All Over The Place - Feb 21, 2008 7:07 PM
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Affirmative action is for losers.Some affirmative action supporters signed the petition.Now we hear these whiners complaining.Can't they read? They probably need affirmative action if they are functional illiterates.
charles, tulsa - Feb 21, 2008 1:43 PM
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America gets more racist each day being advocated by Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson. Similar to the fair tax, they'll throw law abiding people into jail keeping servitude alive and well under bogus claims of 'voter fraud'.
Richard, Oklahoma City - Feb 21, 2008 9:28 AM
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"affirmative action" is pure racism in it's rawest.
Only those who want continued servitude embrace it.
Jerry L., Guthrie - Feb 21, 2008 9:05 AM
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The initiative petition process is being abused by people who will use any means to trick people into signing them. We need to take a serious look at our initative petition law.
Lynn, Oklahoma City - Feb 21, 2008 8:39 AM
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This is not going to happen. Vote or no vote.
quartercircle, Guthrie - Feb 21, 2008 8:35 AM
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