The Sun-Sentinel reports on the efforts of Democrat Party thugs to indtimidate Republicans voting in Florida:
One woman who voted early in Boca Raton, at the Southwest County Regional Library, complained that as she stood in line, two men behind her were “trashing our president,” Fletcher said, declining to identify the woman. She tried to ignore them. Then the man touched her arm and said, “Who are you voting for?”
“I said, ‘I don’t think that’s an appropriate question,'” the woman said she responded. “Uh oh! We have a Bush supporter here,” screamed the man behind her.
For the 2 1/2 hours she had to wait in line, she was heckled by the man. As they neared the voting room, someone in the rear of the line yelled, “I sure hope everyone here is voting for Kerry!” she reported.
That’s when the man behind her held his hand over her head and screamed, “We have a Republican right here!” There were “boos and jeers” from the crowd.
Elaine Fandino complained to the Republican Party that she took her mother to vote on South Military Trail in Palm Beach County and was confronted by 25 people supporting John Kerry for president. The crowd was “very angry and used foul language,” she reported. She said the man next to her said, “Where’s my shotgun?”
In Broward County, at the regional library in Pembroke Pines, a voter complained that Kerry supporters used abusive language about President Bush and had signs and banners within 50 feet of the entrance.
Kerry supporters were “shoving anti-Bush propaganda at us,” complained the voter, who said he shouted back “Vote President Bush!”
A woman who voted in Plantation at the West Regional Courthouse said she was offended to see five or six people with “huge stick on badges” for Kerry/Edwards, standing near the voting machines.
“Never in all the years of voting do we remember being allowed to show a badge or poster or literature while inside the area where the voters are standing ready to cast their vote,” she wrote.
Juan D’Arce of Miami complained to the Republicans that he tried early voting in downtown Miami. He was wearing a Bush pin, but he couldn’t stand the taunting, so he turned away and did not vote.
Howard Sherman complained about his voting experience at North Shore Branch Library in Miami-Dade County. He found a crowd of Kerry supporters blocking the door.
“They were positioned directly in front of the entrance to the library in such a manner that it would be impossible to avoid them while entering the polling place,” he reported.
Sherman said he tried to slip through the thinnest part of the crowd, but a woman in a Kerry T-shirt grabbed his arm and asked if he was voting for Kerry.
“I seem to recall from civics class that this sort of electioneering is illegal,” Sherman complained to the Republicans.
I don’t think it is alarmist to say that the future of our democracy is threatened by the Democrats’ thuggish tactics.
UPDATE: Reader Matt Chisholm drew this cartoon to accompany the Florida voter intimidation story. Click to enlarge:
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