Secretary of State Gibbert Hosemann issued the following press release:
A recent editorial article by Alan Draper of St. Lawrence University
is so misleading, inaccurate and an example of lazy journalism mixed
with weakly guised prejudice, I believe a reply was necessary. Not
deserved—but necessary.
In Mr. Draper’s comments concerning Mississippi’s implementation of a
government issued Voter ID, he indicated shortly after the Supreme
Court issued the Shelby decision, the “Mississippi’s Attorney General
announced plans to implement the State’s Voter ID Law.” Actually, that
was the Texas Attorney General. The Secretary of State of Mississippi
(who happens to be me) called the U. S. Department of Justice Civil
Rights Division within minutes of the Supreme Court’s Shelby decision.
In that conversation, and the written correspondence which followed,
we offered to maintain open Mississippi’s Voter ID regulations pending
any comments the U. S. Justice Department deemed appropriate. We did so
for six (6) months. As part of Mississippi’s implementation, we
provided free transportation to any citizen to the local circuit clerk’s
office (99% of the citizens of Mississippi live within twenty (20)
miles of a circuit clerk’s office), we provided free verification for
birth certificates at the circuit clerk’s office and free issuance of a
Mississippi Voter ID. Over two thousand (2,000) of those were issued.
Following any election, voters are given a week to return with photo
identification and verify their ballot.
The unsubstantiated claim as to the availability and the possession
of photo identification by any voting population is totally false. In
two (2) statewide elections, which included both democratic and
republican primaries, 99.9% of Mississippians exhibited satisfactory
photo identification. No one was deprived of their right to vote.
Particularly, the reference to the quote that our State continues “to
deprive people of their vote, with the same sordid racial overtones
continues today” is false, an unsubstantiated personal opinion and not
those of the voting citizens of the State of Mississippi. No litigation
was filed concerning Mississippi’s implementation of Voter ID by the
U.S. Department of Justice, any citizens group, or any citizen. This
was not the case in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Texas, Arkansas, North
Carolina, or Georgia. But, it was in my State of Mississippi.
We received two (2) national awards for our outreach campaign and
television advertisements. Two (2) other states have requested
information on how Mississippi addressed this issue. We welcome the
opportunity to share how our citizens work together.
Mississippians remember our election past and are loathed to
replicate it. However, we are not our father’s father Mississippi and
our future is now determined by the collective work of today’s
citizens. The implementation of reasonable constitutional photo
identification when casting your ballot is a good example.
I noticed St. Lawrence University has a three percent (3%) minority
enrollment. Should Mr. Draper desire to visit an integrated university,
we would welcome him to visit any of Mississippi’s universities or
junior colleges.
Sincerely,
Delbert Hosemann
Kingfish note: Read Mr. Draper's column here.
Monday, September 1, 2014
Gilbert fires back at columnist
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16 comments:
The Secretary of State should not abuse the power of his office by spamming the business owners that were duped into surrendering their email addresses to him. I do not want to read about the Neshoba County Fair or his angry response.
I regret the day I registered with his site and wish he had the integrity to respect those of us that opted out of his propaganda.
It was pretty dry --i.e., standard Dilbert-- up until the last paragraph. Then he threw in the verbal pimp slap, just for fun. Good for you, Gilbert.
Yeah, pretty sweet final jab there.
I had read that pathetic article. Nice response by the Secretary of State.
Hey 4:03, most of the people on this site also regret the day you registered. But we will celebrate the day you unregister. Great response Dilbert, the facts often confuse idiots.
It is b.s. to proclaim voter ID a success when you haven't had a contested high-turnout general election yet under it. That is when voters show up who do not vote regularly and may not be carrying up-to-date unexpired ID. Primaries were never the issue. Reducing the turnout in a way that disproportionately affects certain types of voters who are more likely to vote Democratic has always been the purpose of the initiative.
KF - thanks for the link to the original editorial. Seeing that it links to the Clarion Ledger site almost guarantees it is pure crap, so thanks for sparing my time.
I'll head outside and grill the last burger of summer instead.
@6:42
I get the stupid emails like this one the Dilbert sent out. I didn't vote for him, loathe the Mississippi Republicans, and don't want him whining to the business owners that were coaxed into giving the SOS their email addresses. It is an abuse of his office.
And for the rest of your comment,blow it out your brain hole.
4:03, who posted at 8:31, has a point. If you called the Secretary of State and asked for a public records release of all e-mail addresses maintained in his office, by virtue of his forms, you'd probably be told "no." Or, at best, it will cost you X amount of money. Yet, for some reason, it appears that the Secretary has found a way to obtain a copy of that e-mail list for his own use. Arguably, he has only used the list for "official" Secretary of State business. But, some would argue that it is thinly veiled campaigning. Que sera sera. If we must give our e-mail addresses, and MUST receive semi-official e-mails from the SoS office in order to do business in Mississippi, I suppose it is a small price to pay.
11:20 Geez, whiney - don't you have a "delete" key?
wonder if we could contact the Public Service Commission and get on a "no email" list from Dilbert. He should at least give us an "opt out" option from his campaign spam.
Why the venom focused on the best elected official we have had in years? Are you that disappointed with your state in life?
5:11 - because no one likes spam.
That was funny as hell but you know I can't post that comment.
5:11 - I will ask you again, on this post. You are kidding, aren't you.
The "best public official"? Surely you jest, or are currently employed in the Capitol Towers suite, because nobody that is not on the current payroll actually believes that crap.
Is this for real or are Jerry Mitchell and Old Bill Minor just sitting around, sipping cooking Sherry and sharing the keyboard for shits and giggles?
"It is b.s. to proclaim voter ID a success when you haven't had a contested high-turnout general election yet under it. That is when voters show up who do not vote regularly and may not be carrying up-to-date unexpired ID. Primaries were never the issue. Reducing the turnout in a way that disproportionately affects certain types of voters who are more likely to vote Democratic has always been the purpose of the initiative."
Such dorky liberals have become so well known for spewing personal opinion without benefit of fact or support. More of "The republicans are going to take your food stamps, Escalades, rims and wide screens if you don't turn out and vote Dem".
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