Tennessee Tribune acts heroically for future

NewsChannel 5 reporter Amy Rao scored a major political story coup picked up by CNN about the publishing of people's addresses and names who did not vote in the 2004 presidential readership in the circulation area of The Tennessee Tribune.

The African-American newspaper first published the names and addresses of non-voters -- which definitely is public record -- to increase turnout in a state Senate district, Tribune chief Rosetta Miller-Perry told Rao.

Miller-Perry is looking to do the same for this election with the recent publishing. And she is right in her action. Too many people of all colors and ethnicities have died for this right. It is the responsibility of every citizen still living to exercise that right instead of letting the few elect the many.

This move is not about producing a larger vote for Sen. Obama. He is not going to win Tennessee anyway. Here is the underlying truth to her action: the white power structure in Nashville and on Capitol Hill has told African-American leaders for years and years that they'll receive no more public money for the growing needs of the vulnerable in their communities because their constituencies don't vote.

For instance, public schools are failing in Nashville because of this unspoken mandate. Tennessee State University should be larger than MTSU. But money has been diverted from it to the Murfreesboro campus.

Meanwhile, we have 1,400 TSU students shockingly kicked out of school each year because they cannot afford the tuition, or student loans come in too late. That's not right -- morally or fiscally. We should want these young people in college becoming the next professionals. The media just caught on to this fact this year. This tragedy has been happening for many years.

So Miller-Perry is really trying to address this unspoken truth. If people who have been identified feel put upon, then they should get a ride to the polls with their friends, walk to the polls like I do each time or call either presidential campaign and get a ride from them.

Publishing addresses, however, should have been handled differently. A street or by state Senate district with the name should have been the way to allow safety for the person and still encourage turnout.

Beyond that, more power to Miller-Perry, because what she is doing will bring more power to the people most in need.