ACORN Strikes Back

In the run-up to the election, the Republican machine is going to do whatever it takes to increase their turnout numbers and definitely to decrease that of the Democrats. One of the ways they do that is to attack those that work to register lots of voters. ACORN is one such organization and this year they have been in the GOP's crosshairs. John McCain said in last week's debate that they were "...on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy."Of course that is complete bullshit and ACORN isn't taking these attacks lying down.

From The Albany Project:

This week, ACORN is dedicated to setting the record straight and more importantly, raise awareness about voter suppression which is a REAL issue that has occurred in two elections (2000 and 2004) that were won by Republican George W. Bush.

Earlier this week during a press call, ACORN brought up a few different eye-opening incidents that are worth mentioning. In New Mexico, the Republicans there challenged the validity of several voters there. Upon further review, these voters were valid. The claims of "voter fraud" were false.

Another issue that ACORN is focusing on is voter suppression involving voters who have had their homes foreclosed. In multiple states, there are efforts underway trying to suppress these voters. One such is Michigan, where the Republicans were trying to purge voters from the rolls using foreclosure lists. Luckily, that attempt was foiled. But we still need to watch for these attempts nationwide.

There has also been a growing hatred for ACORN thanks to the GOP rhetoric and the loud-mouthed antics of John McCain and Sarah Palin. In Wisconsin, a person canvassing for Barack Obama was reportedly attacked by someone who referred to ACORN while physically abusing this individual. There have been break-ins at ACORN headquarters in Boston and Washington state. There have been threats and racism directed at ACORN employees and volunteers, as well as one instance of someone receiving a death threat from an individual who just happened to have "McCain-Palin" on their Facebook page.

The statements made about ACORN by McCain and his surrogates are much more than just words. The emotion behind it fills many of their supporters with hate and fuels their bigotry from mere shouts to actual violence. ACORN is about empowering low-income and minority voters, not lying down in the face of nasty attacks. Bringing light onto what has happened to their offices is essential to showing the ugly side of our country and shaming those that engage in it, helping to break this vicious cycle of hate. If those that purvey these messages are punished for their acts (such as losing handily at the polls) then it is less likely we see it used in the future.