WSKY Audio Program About the Amendments
Former Gainesville City Commissioner Ed Braddy was on the Bob Rose Show this week. Here is the audio download in mp3 format.
“We covered them all over the full hour, but of interest are the discussion on Amendment 2 (the marriage issue) that begins at minute 3:20, and discussion of the Alachua County items that begin at minute 17:45 and closes out the program.” -Ed Braddy
Two weeks ago I opened my mailbox and found my sample ballot. I opened it and was immediately surprised by the number of items I would be asked to vote on come November 4th. It’s obvious that while there are several parties running for the White House, it all boils down to the Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin tickets. If you don’t know who the Tribe endorses, this must be the first post of ours you have read. Kindly click on one of the several other posts on the right (following your completion of reading this post) to understand who and who not to vote for President. After that, click on some sponsor links so that I may feed and clothe my family. (Just kidding, but seriously – click on some ads… it’s good for the economy!)
Then there’s the local politics, county commissioners, judges, and the like… we will have a local guide for Alachua County (the Tribe’s local jurisdiction) voters in the next few days.
I was surprised when I stumbled over the amendments, six of them, I would be asked to vote for/against. I had heard about the marriage amendment but did not realize there were six total. In reading the brief explanations on the ballot, I had no idea what I would be voting for/against. I have done my due diligence Tribal investigation and without further ado, bring you:
The Tribe’s Guide to the Florida Amendments in Layman’s Terms
Amendment #1 Declaration of Rights Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to delete provisions authorizing the Legislature to regulate or prohibit the ownership, inheritance, disposition, and possession of real property by aliens ineligible for citizenship.
This amendment would repeal a 1926 amendment that allowed the Legislature to ban “aliens ineligible for citizenship” (old code word for Asian immigrants) from buying and owning real estate. The alien land laws, as they’re known, began in 1913 in California, where residents felt threatened by the farming prowess of Japanese immigrants. At the time, Asians were not allowed to become U.S. citizens, so laws barring them from land ownership indirectly targeted them using “aliens ineligible for citizenship” phrasing. In Florida, the provision was never enforced and was invalidated by subsequent federal court rulings. It has nothing to do with illegal aliens or terrorism. It’s just an obsolete piece of institutionalized racism.
Vote YES on #1
Go here to see the rest of the guide: http://observationaldiatribe.blogspot.com/2008/10/tribal-voter-guide-to-florida.html
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