What is this? harassing non english speaking voters?

[AlphaCentauri]

Denuncian hostigamiento contra latinos en Iowa

Líder de NALEO manifestó que estos incidentes deben ser reportados al Departamento de Justicia de Estados Unidos

Eileen Truax
Viernes, 11 de enero de 2008
NASHUA, New Hampshire.— El pasado 3 de enero Arturo y José León llegaron a votar al precinto demócrata en Estherville, Iowa, acompañados por otros 10 latinos y miembros de sus familias que, aunque no estaban registrados para votar, querían verlos participar por primera vez en un caucus. Llegaron vestidos para la ocasión, tímidos y entusiasmados, pero al entrar su entusiasmo fue borrado de un golpe.
(SILVERIO)

Tan pronto aparecieron en el salón, un grupo de simpatizantes de John Edwards empezó a burlarse de ellos. "Ellos no sabían que mi compañera Ana, que estaba ahí para ayudarles a traducir, sí entendía inglés", relata Margueritea Jiménez, quien participó en los caucus como voluntaria en la campaña del gobernador de Nuevo México, Bill Richardson. "El grupo que apoyaba a Edwards abiertamente se burló de ellos, pensando que no les iban a entender".

De acuerdo con los testimonios de Ana y Margueritea, el espacio donde se celebró el caucus estaba tan lleno cuando los León llegaron, que les negaron un espacio "oficial" dentro del salón para representar al grupo que apoyaba a su candidato, Richardson. "En lugar de eso, me dijeron que se podían quedar parados en un rincón, atrás de las cámaras de una televisora", señala la voluntaria. En el caso de Arturo, de 87 años, la persona que dirigía las actividades dijo que él podía votar antes que todos y salir al pasillo para buscar una silla.

Finalmente, tras sentir que no eran bienvenidos, 10 de los 12 latinos que iban a votar por primera vez decidieron retirarse, entre ellos Arturo.

...
http://www.laopinion.com/archivo/index.html?START=1&RESULTSTART=1&DISPLAYTYPE=single&FREETEXT=NALEO&FDATEd12=&FDATEd13=&BOOLp00=&SORT_MODE=datedes

[fenriswolf]

1. sorry i didn't understand that please rephrase.

[AlphaCentauri]

2. Automatically translated text:

They denounce harassment of Latinos in Iowa

Leader of NALEO said that such incidents must be reported to the Department of Justice of the United States

Eileen Truax
Friday, January 11, 2008
NASHUA, New Hampshire .- On January 3 Arturo and Jose Leon came to the precinct to vote Democrat in Estherville, Iowa, accompanied by 10 other Latinos and members of their families, although they were not registered to vote, they wanted to see them participate for the first time in a caucus. They came dressed for the occasion, timid and excited, but when I visited his enthusiasm was erasing a coup.
(SILVERIO)

As soon appeared in the hall, a group of supporters of John Edwards began to flout them. "They did not know that my colleague Ana, which was there to help translate, it understood English," Margueritea Jimenez, who participated in the caucuses as a volunteer in the campaign of the governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson. "The group that openly supported Edwards made fun of them, thinking that they were going to understand."

According to the testimony of Ana and Margueritea, the space where the caucus was held was so packed when Leon arrived, they refused a space "official" within the classroom to represent a group that supported its candidate, Richardson. "Instead, I was told that they could be standing in a corner, behind the cameras of a television company," says the volunteer. In the case of Arturo, 87 years old, the person who ran the activities said he could vote before all and leave the corridor to find a chair.

Finally, after feeling that they were not welcome, 10 of the 12 Latinos who were going to vote for the first time decided to withdraw, including Arturo.

[fenriswolf]

4. sorry to hear that

I'm sure every candidate has it's share of A-hole supporters.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. Edwards supporters acting like this?

I'm so ashamed.

edit: found a longer article...

"People need to know that this is happening. Our system is fractured and denies people the right to have a meaningful participation in the country," said Margueritea, who is originally from California and has lived in Washington for three years. A partir de su experiencia ahí se ha vuelto más consciente del ambiente antiinmigrante en algunas áreas del país; por eso decidió participar en la campaña de Richardson. From his experience there has become more aware of the anti-immigrant climate in some areas of the country and therefore decided to participate in the campaign Richardson.

lots more http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.laopinion.com/elpais/%3Frkey%3D00000000000003024770&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=3&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DEstherville,%2BIowa%2Bcaucus%2Benglish%2BLatinos%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff

[MADem]

5. If you want to have a discussion about the disenfranchisement of these folks,

you might want to translate the document for the people here who don't read and write spanish.

I frankly find it difficult to believe that so many of these US citizen and Iowa voters who speaks Spanish as a first language, do not know a single solitary word of English. Surely one person in that group of twelve had sufficient language skill to translate, if the others were so timid--and why didn't Ana, who spoke English, tell these 'evil Edwards supporters' to shut the fuck up or face a discrimination lawsuit?

I also find it surprising that the EDWARDS supporters would be such assholes to mock them openly. That quality doesn't seem characteristic of the average Edwards supporter, in my experience.

This smells fishy to me. Sorry.

[AlphaCentauri]

6. I think that basically this new citizens were there to learn about the election process

but looks like they were not welcome to cast their first vote. Wonder why?

[MADem]

8. The article says that 12 of them turned up and were jeered/mocked by Edwards supporters.

They were there to PARTICIPATE in the process (with some nonvoting family members, as well, apparently), all dressed up and ready to go. There was at least one person who spoke English, but who didn't, apparently, pipe up and tell those assholes to STFU or be the subject of a Justice Department discrimination lawsuit.

It sounds VERY 'odd' to me.

You'd think the media would be all over this shit. It's a perfect illustration of xenophobia and excess, butted up against that whole "migra" issue, and certainly "Made For Tee Vee."

On edit--below, I speculated that maybe some of the nonvoters weren't staying in their designated area. If they were mingling with the caucus-goers, that would have increased Richardson's count.... and THAT's what the Edwards supporters were pissed about.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

7. I edited my post to include a link to a longer article about the same incident..

see post 3. Edwards campaign responds... more info. I find it hard to believe JE supporters would act this way either, but then I guess I can, considering the phobias that have purposely fostered in the public by the Cabal.
:(

[MADem]

9. I can't see EDWARDS supporters behaving that way. Something stinks, here.

Maybe the nonvoting family members weren't sticking to the area designated for them, or what-have-you.

I know those caucuses allow observers, but I'd imagine they want them to stay in a set place.

Something is very suspicious about this whole article. It sounds like a hit-piece on Edwards, IMO.