Alabama Republican Party Chairman Bill Armistead noted that Al Sharpton’s visit to Birmingham today is merely to try and stir up strife and conflict here in Alabama. Sharpton plans to open his Freedom Summer headquarters in Birmingham as a base for a voting rights registration and campaigning. Sharpton has been critical of Alabama’s new photo Voter ID law and will use this event as an opportunity to attack the good work done by our Republican-led legislature that enhances the integrity of the election process in Alabama. Sharpton’s visit comes one week after the DNC site selection committee made a visit to Birmingham as it considers where to hold their 2016 Democratic National Convention.
“Sharpton has proven himself to be a race-baiting liberal whose election year activities are designed to serve one purpose: to gin up racial animosity and hostility in order to boost turnout of Democrat voters. As an example, he has written on his blog that ‘we are witnessing renewed attacks on our right to vote’ and that the ‘voting rights of so many citizens are once again under assault’. Sharpton is merely trying to stir up emotions among some people to motivate them to turn out to vote in November. It is shameful.
“Alabama and several other states have passed Voter ID laws to ensure that the voter is who they say they are. However, Sharpton claims the basis for these new voter ID laws is to ‘disenfranchise black and minority voters, the elderly, the poor and young people’. Sharpton knows better, and he should be ashamed for making such absurd comments.
“Requiring something as basic as a voter presenting a photo ID at the polls is not designed to keep anybody from voting. Quite the contrary, Alabama’s Voter ID Law is designed to ensure that only legal votes are cast and counted. We have all heard the stories of dead people voting and of individuals voting more than once, by claiming to be someone they were not. A photo ID should be a minimum requirement to protect the sanctity of our sacred right to vote.
“I believe that everybody, regardless of their race, creed or color, who is old enough and registered to vote, should vote. Sharpton does nothing to help race relations by intentionally using false and inflammatory information in order to stir up ill feelings just to boost turnout. If you tell the truth and get everybody to vote that’s a good thing. But that has never been Al Sharpton’s motive.
###