February 25, 2008

YM Blog-a-thon: Update

Posted by Jamilah King at 8:11AM

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A little update on the first Youth Media Blog-a-Thon being sponsored by Youth Outlook and WireTap. So far, it's been a tremendous success! A big shout out to all the participants and especially to the readers. We've had a lot lively online discussions about issues that aren't really being tackled in mainstream media -- and it's not over! We're asking everyone to participate in some way, from posting a blog, comment, or passing the message along to friends. The reason is simple: our voices need to be heard.

Below is a quick rundown of some of important discussions that are on the table -- or screen, however you want to look at it:

Confusing Voting Process

Eming Piansay, from Youth Outlook asked a good question: "Why is the process of voting almost as complicated as the election itself?" Does our delegate system negate the power of the popular vote?

The Cheddar Box had a few suggestions, such as allowing same day registration:

Why have all these confusing dates and deadlines for registering? Yes, it would mean more work for people working at the polling sites as they would have to process paper work and all that. But that’s a small price to pay for strengthening democracy. All you ever hear about is how terrible our voter turnout rates are and how apathetic and lazy the young people are. People stay away from the polls because the process is so damn confusing. Same day registration would go along way towards increasing voter turnout and making it easier for people to exercise their political will.

Grits & Eggs also discussed how confusing the process of voting can be, especially when neither candidate speaks for you:

You can go ahead an hurl your left shoe at my forehead; I know I deserve it. But even now, two weeks later, I still don't know who to call "my candidate." It's not about identity politics--though I promise you, anyone who voted on the basis of identity got it wrong and those who say they don't "see" sex, gender, and race are lying. Rather, it's about the fact that I don't see in either Democratic candidate a reflection of my own political views.

Race, Power & Privilege

Eugene, at Boston Progress Radio, called for a more inclusive voting process, one that involves documented and undocumented immigrants:

I have often wondered why the right to vote should be restricted to American citizens. Why shouldn’t immigrants (legal or illegal) be allowed to vote? As a permanent resident, I had the privilege of paying state, local, and federal taxes, I had the privilege of registering with the Selective Services System so that I could defend and fight for this country, and I had the privilege of subjecting myself to a physical examination just to prove my worthiness.

Zoneil Maharaj, from Oh Dang!, discussed a recent trip to the polls, and how race makes all the difference in choosing who to vote for:

I’m neither black nor white. But during discussions about the presidential race, I couldn’t help but turn to race as an argument. I’m told this is ignorant, especially for someone with a B.A. in journalism who should know better. But is it really that ignorant? Don’t we all favor those we can relate to?"

In an interesting spin in the comment section, he also brought to light a rarely discussed issue: Is this election the biggest beef in hip hop since Death row vs. Bad Boy?

Are words cheap?

In an Open Letter to Hillary Clinton, Adriel Luis of the poetry collective iLL-Literacy discusses the power of words:

...my recent attention to you doesn't really have anything to do with my Asian-ness, but rather, my Spoken Wordedness. You see, I am a spoken word artist. And as much as I hate to mix business and politics, I couldn't help but be intensely hurt by your February 14th speech about how ineffective speeches are, in which you explained that words don't make change, and that "words are cheap." Now trust me, I'm not new to getting my heart smashed by a woman on Valentine's Day. But in the past these offenders have been girls I had a crush on in pre-calculus, or the cute waitress at P.F. Chang's. But a potential President of the United States? Oh Hillary, you's cold blooooded!

There's still time to join the discussion! Check out the particpants' websites, leave comments and check back for more updates.