CAIR-NJ targets Pascrell/ pushing Election Day Voter Registration
/By Rubashov
There is a shocking solipsism to the statements coming from CAIR-NJ and its partners – like American Muslims for Palestine New Jersey (AMP-NJ) and the Palestinian American Community Center (PACC). They keep insisting that humanity is divided into “sides” and that only those who they identify as being on their side can experience loss and suffering.
But that is a false construct. There are no sides, only actions. When a “soldier” rapes a woman, murders her, and then displays her body so that other “soldiers” can desecrate her corpse – that is an action against humanity itself. The members of CAIR-NJ, AMP, PACC share our common humanity and must, on some level, understand that what those men did is an action against all humanity, of which they are a part.
Later today, CAIR-NJ and American Muslims for Palestine New Jersey (AMP-NJ) will take a crack at Congressman Bill Pascrell. They are holding a “Joint Press Conference Calling on New Jersey Officials to Support Ceasefire in Gaza.” They must know the futility of a ceasefire that does not acknowledge Hamas’ deliberate attacks on civilian noncombatants, but neither group ever mentions this or the civilian women and children who have been adducted and held by Hamas.
They plan to hold the press conference at Congressman Pascrell’s office in Paterson. It is set for 1pm today.
CAIR-NJ and AMP-NJ’s press release reeks of an almost pathological solipsism:
“CAIR-NJ and AMP-NJ continue to mourn Israel’s massacre of Palestinians stand firmly in unwavering solidarity with Palestinians and their right to freedom. The two groups continue to call on New Jersey elected officials to respond to Palestinian civil society and Palestinian American’s calls to action as the Palestinian death toll in Gaza rapidly climbs.”
Screw humanity. We only care about our “side”.
CAIR-NJ and AMP-NJ are specifically targeting Pascrell because they believe they can exercise political power at the polls:
“Aside from issuing a statement on October 7 in support of Israel, Rep. Bill Pascrell has remained silent in the wake of Israel’s war on Gaza, even as Israel launched an airstrike on a hospital in Gaza, killing over 500 Palestinians, bringing the overall death toll in Gaza from the past week to over 1,000. The congressman represents a sizeable Palestinian and Muslim constituency.”
Which brings us to CAIR-NJ’s number 1 ask for New Jersey legislators: A bill that allows voter registration at polling places.
Currently, voters who recently moved to New Jersey must also live at their address for 30 days to be considered a resident. One month to show that you have skin in the game is too much for CAIR-NJ. They argue that changing this “is more reflective of who we are as a country”. What with homelessness on the rise and borders-in-name-only perhaps it is, but is that a good thing?
Given that residency requirements to vote (or even run for office) are notoriously weak – essentially you live where you say you live – the 30-day rule is all that is keeping us from the possibility of roving voters. Imagine people showing up on election day to throw an election one way or another. Hey, I moved in with my friend today, I say I live here so I can vote. Nothing would prevent them from moving on to a new voting district for the next election.
The legislation is A1966/S247. 19 Democrats are proposing it in the Assembly. The Senate version is cosponsored by Vin Gopal and Andrew Zwicker, among other Democrats. There’s one Republican cosponsor: Jon Bramnick.
Here’s Bramnick explaining why he believes this is a good idea:
