New Mexico begins new policy of refusing voter IDs to Navajo-speaking ‘illiterates’

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Raw Story

New Mexico begins new policy of refusing voter IDs to Navajo-speaking ‘illiterates’
David Edwards
30 Oct 2014 at 15:34 ET

The New Mexico Motor Vehicles Division (MVD) has reportedly stopped issuing driver’s licenses or photo identification cards used for voting to so-called “illiterates” who only speak the Navajo language.

In a memo obtained by ProgressNowNM, Bureau Chief Aurora Lopez outlines the policy for MVD employees.

“Agents are not allowed to read the questions on driver’s applications to a customer,” Lopez writes. “They would (need) a letter stating that they have a condition that falls under the Americans with Disabilities Act for us to read the questions.”

“Applicants should be able to read the questions on their own since it raises questions as to how they obtained their driver’s license.”

Lopez adds: “We are not able to issue license (sic) for illiterates.”


Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/10/new-mexico-begins-new-policy-of-refusing-voter-ids-to-navajo-speaking-illiterates/

[hobbit709]

1. Isn't that unconstitutional?

[sakabatou]

2. I believe so

[rhett o rick]

14. Isn't it what?

[IDemo]

18. Adhering to the tenets of a *GD piece of paper n/t

[pa28]

3. So states are using literacy tests to disenfranchise minority voters again?

Somebody tell Clarence Thomas that conditions HAVE NOT changed since passage of the voting rights act. I'm sure he'll get right on it.

[jwirr]

4. Native Americans are going to throw a fit. Even though most can speak English and read this is an

insult to all. This above all is their country and keeping them from voting is down right evil.

[jwirr]

24. Was talking with my grandson who is Native American. These people they are refusing to register

are the elders who did not learn English. My grandson reminded me that these are the sons and daughters of the men who were so valuable to us in WWII. The code talkers children. The code talkers used their Navajo language to help defeat Hitler for those of you who do not understand their value. Double shame on the people of NM. These Native Americans are patriotic Americans who are now being disenfranchised by the people of NM.


Shame, shame, shame.

[DustyJoe]

29. Agreed

Why any govt entity would show preference to non-native, non-citizen undocumented immigrants that do not read, write, speak or understand english. But, because state govt workers are largely hispanic have no problem communicating with these folks. That's not a problem, NM is one of the few states to accomodate and provide licenses to these undocumented.

But, come the elders of the Navajo Nation, or any tribe in this state. A lot of the elders have lived on the reservation all their lives and live their native lifestyle on their own sovereign nation. These elders, revered by their younger relatives for some reason are now a target of a state agency because they don't speak english ? Unimagineable in this day and age.

These elders are going to MVD offices in their area close to the reservation, not the white or hispanic bastions of Santa Fe or Albuquerque, but Gallup, Farmington in the 4 corners area. These MVD offices employ Navajo staff and this staff can accomodate these elders the same as spanish speaking staff accomodate undocumented applicants that just arrived and are not expected to speak or read english.

I have lived among the Navajo for over 40 years and you cannot find a nobler people. They send their children to college, are just as educated as any Harvard/Yale student. They look up to their elders as teachers and holders of their culture. A blatant prejudice of this magnitude will not resonate positively within the largest native tribe in North America, and it shouldn't.

[SamKnause]

5. DISGRACEFUL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a slap in the face to all of the Navajo code talkers. (The last Navajo code talker, Chester Nez 93, died June 4th, 2014)

What a slap in the face to all the Navajo veterans.

What a slap in the face to all the Navajo currently serving in the U.S. military.

Disgusting.

This should outrage the entire country !!!

[Judi Lynn]

6. You're right. It should enrage the country. Absolutely mostrous. n/t

[SunSeeker]

7. K & R for exposure. nt

[turbinetree]

8. CONSTITUTION

Whoever is doing this crap ( Mr. Lopez) had better understand something real quick, in the Constitution it says that all native people will be treated as a sovereign nation.
And if these jerks are denying native people there sovereignty to vote then they have a BIG BIG problem, and the tribal council will be going down to these polling places and driver license bureaus and to explain to them exactly what they are doing is against the CONSTITUTION and they can be prosecuted on a tribal court.
As family member of the Cherokee Nation it was the native people Navajo, that defeated the Japanese in WWII and this is f***king outrageous
A f***king drivers license is f****king privilege and voting is a RIGHT, and since Mr. Lopez thinks that native people have to pass a test to get an ID then this d***k should be held to a test to read the CONSTITUTION

[KamaAina]

16. Awesome rant!

And welcome to DU!

[Warpy]

23. I predicted earlier that the lawsuits will soon fly

Voting on the rez is not that big a problem, they accept tribal cards and BIA health cards. In fact, they generally take them here whether or not they still speak English.

I say "still" because so many of them are old folks who were kidnapped and sent to boarding schools to try to assimilate them, a cruel and stupid policy whose lessons they rejected as soon as they could get home again and could speak their own language.

The younger generation are bilingual and are as likely to get law degrees as anything else, so Lopez might have cause to regret his actions sooner rather than later.

I really like the Navajo people. I've found they understand Irish humor, a rarity.

[Judi Lynn]

25. Hello, turbinetree! Welcome to D.U. Good one. n/t

[candelista]

32. "Sovereign nation" does not mean what you think it means.

It doesn't have anything to do with voting in US elections.

(This is not an endorsement of NM policy toward Navajos.)

[Stonepounder]

9. If you aren't a Tea-Party, White, Male, Christian

The GOP doesn't want you to vote. What part don't y'all get?

[DustyJoe]

12. White New Mexicans

NM is 39% white non-hispanic, 10% Native and 47% Hispanic and traditionally votes Democrat. A large percentage of State Government employees are Hispanic. Elderly Navajos that cannot speak or read english would be a remarkably miniscule percentage, so whatever is driving the disenfranchising of this population segment is puzzling.

[DustyJoe]

10. MVD

“Agents are not allowed to read the questions on driver’s applications to a customer,” Lopez writes. “They would (need) a letter stating that they have a condition that falls under the Americans with Disabilities Act for us to read the questions.”

This paragraph makes no sense to single out Navajo Natives, NM has a lot of tribes other than Navajo. There are Utes, Apaches and numerous Pueblos. You can be guaranteed there are many tribal elders of all these tribes that cannot communicate in English, not just Navajo I have been at NM MVD in the 4 corners twice this past week and you will ALWAYS find hispanic clerks reading instructions to the non-english speaking hispanics of which there are a LOT. Recent arrivals in country typically cannot read, write, speak or understand English and bring family members with them to read forms or have a handy MVD employee read it to them and that includes questions on the tests. This appears to be a backhanded attempt for some reason to not allow only Navajo elders to obtain services. It would serve the state right for ALL native tribes to withhold casino payments to the state until this discrimination is stopped. Hit em in the wallet !

*on edit ... NM requires no voter ID, I just voted early last week and in my 59 years in NM have never been required to show ID to vote that I can remember. I do show my voter registration card that I applied for by mail and received in the mail.

[El Shaman]

11. All that 'code talker'

work for naught!

[SoapBox]

13. WTF?

How could this pass Constitutional muster?

These are Americans...aren't they? In a state with such Native residents?

What the hell!

[KamaAina]

15. Strap them all into uncomfortable chairs

and put on "Windtalkers".

[democrank]

17. Absolutely shameful

[Iliyah]

19. GEEZ, they really don't want Americans to vote huh

[Solly Mack]

21. That's fucked up.

[Spider Jerusalem]

22. New Mexico does not require ID to vote, only to register. Further:

Only if you are registering for the first time in New Mexico, and you submit the registration form by mail, then you must submit with the form a copy of (1) a current and valid photo identification; or (2) a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, student identification card or other government document, including identification issued by an Indian nation, tribe or pueblo that shows your name and current address. If you do not submit one of these forms of identification with your mailed-in, first time registration, then you would be required to present one of the forms of identification when voting in person or absentee.

[loudsue]

26. This needs to go viral. Everyone in the country needs too hear about this from a state with a repub

governor.

[SCVDem]

27. Seven

A California voting ballot has seven languages.

The written DMV test comes in a dozen languages plus a video for signing. You need to do a sign ID test if you don't speak English.

WTF New Mexico? We don't have a problem in California!

BTW, does Lopez speak Navajo?

Now, who's illiterate?

[Cha]

28. Oh? Republicon Governor Susana Marinez have anything to do with that?

[NCcoast]

30. Here's some irony for you

Navajo's helped the United States win WWII by communicating in Navajo because there weren't any Navajo speaking people outside of the United States. I would call the fact that they speak Navajo irrefutable evidence that they were born in the United States.

I'm ready for the Republican party to implode. The sooner the better.

[blkmusclmachine]

31. The only way today's radical GOP can win is to steal elections. And the DOJ is MIA

[jwirr]

33. I agree but this time in NM I think it will backfire. If they do not let the elders vote I think you

will see every eligible Navajo at the polls to beat them at their own game. I also suspect that this will happen in every other tribe on the continent. As I said before - when they insult the elders they
insult all Natives.

The Native American people have withstood everything that has been thrown against them all these years. They are not going to be beaten by this. They will vote. When I go to the polls in my state I will be voting for those elders.

Whatever their purpose in doing this they are going to lose.