KURT GREGORY, WBAL-TV 11 NEWS.
DEMOCRATS ACROSS THE STATE
RECENTLY GOT SOMETHING IN THE
MAIL THAT MANY PEOPLE FOUND
STARTLING.
IT IS A FLYER THAT USES HISTORIC
IMAGES FROM THE CIVIL RIGHTS
STRUGGLE.
SOME THINK THAT THE FLYER IS
INTENDED TO MAKE THE POINT THAT
UNLESS YOU VOTE FOR LIEUTENANT
GOVERNOR ANTHONY BROWN, YOU RISK
OF GOING BACK TO THE DAYS OF
SEGREGATION.
CRITICS CONTEND THAT THE
MESSAGE IS, IF YOU DON'T VOTE
FOR ANTHONY BROWN, JIM CROW LAWS
WILL MAKE A COMEBACK.
NOT SO, SAYS THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY.
THEY SAID IT IS A
REMINDER OF
THE HEART-FOUGHT BATTLE TO
ENERGIZE THE DEMOCRATIC BASE.
IF ELECTED, YOU WOULD BECOME
THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN
GOVERNOR IN THE STATE'S HISTORY.
DOES RACE MATTER IN THIS RACE?
THE SHORT ANSWER GIVEN BY
BOTH IS NO.
SOME CONTEND THAT THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY IS PLAYING THE RACE CARD.
THIS MAILER LANDED IN THE MAIL
BOX OF THOUSANDS OF
DEMOCRATS ACROSS THE STATE.
THEIR
CAPTIONS THAT READ,
HISTORY IS WATCHING TO SEE IF WE
VOTE.
MY SENSE IS THAT IT WAS NOT
DIRECTED AT RACE.
MIKE
HIGGINBOTHAM BELIEVES
THAT THE MAILER SERVES THREE
PURSES.
WANTS TO A NAG -- ANALOGIZE
WHAT HAPPENED IN
THE 1950'S ON
TERMS OF RESTRICTIONS ON VOTERS.
IT IS TO REMIND VOTERS OF THE
CLOSED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN THE CIVIL
RIGHTS MOVEMENT, AND I THINK
THIRD IT IS TO NOTE THE SYSTEM
ORACLE SIGNIFICANCE OF ANTHONY
BROWN'S CAMPAIGN.
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SAYS
VOTING IS A RESPONSE
ABILITY.
RESPONSIBILITY BORNE ON THE
SHOULDERS OF THOSE WHO WORKED
HARD TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE
ENJOYS THE RIGHT.
THERE'S A REAL CONCERN ABOUT
THE SUPPORT OF VOTER ID LAWS
,
REALLY RESTRICTIVE VOTER ID
LAWS.
RACE CAME OUT DURING THE
DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY.
THIS IS WHAT DOUG GANSLER TOLD A
GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS.
RIGHT NOW, HIS CAMPAIGN
SLOGAN, VOTE FOR ME, I WANT TO
BE THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN
GOVERNOR IN MARYLAND HISTORY.
THE CAMPAIGN USED THIS
DIFFERENTLY.
IT REMINDS VOTERS THAT OVER
THE COURSE OF THE HISTORY, MEN
AND WOMEN OF DIFFERENT RACE,
NATIONALITY, AND ETHNICITY HAVE
COME TOGETHER TO ENLARGE THE
VOTE, TO MAKE SURE THAT MORE AND
MORE AMERICANS HAVE UNLIMITED,
UNFETTERED ACCESS TO THE BALLOT.
THERE IS CONCERN ABOUT HOW
THE FLYER IS USED, INCLUDING THE
WORDS WE AND THEY.
FLYER ORGANIZERS SAY WE
IS
EVERYONE WHO FOUGHT -- AND
THEY
REFLECT EVERYONE WHO INTENDS TO
MAKE ACCESS HARDER FOR THE
POLLS.
30,000 VOTERS TURNED OUT FOR
EARLY VOTING.
IT RUNS THROUGH NEXT THURSDAY.
