Don't cheat voters out of all the facts

Readers of the Tribune’s editorial on the MCRI should be made aware of some facts.

Judge Arthur Tarnow listened to the testimony of a dozen opponents and theorized that 500,000 petition signers were deceived. One dozen people, some whose claims were unsupported by direct evidence and contradicted the testimony of others, convinced Tarnow that half a million people were incapable of discerning the intent of a clearly worded petition.

Don’t believe it was clear? The Michigan Court of Appeals does. In response to a prior lawsuit, it ruled - “there is simply no merit to [the opposition’s] contention that the language is ‘propaganda’ or misleading.”

To those who point at the Michigan Civil Rights Commission’s report following their “investigation”, it should be noted that the leader of those staged hearings, Mark Bernstein, had determined the outcome long ago.

In 2004, Bernstein released a press release calling it “a shameful attempt to confuse and manipulate unsuspecting voters…” Then, the MCRC adopted a resolution opposing the initiative. Two weeks after releasing his report, Bernstein dropped all pretenses of impartiality and held a fundraiser for the campaign against the MCRI.

While editorializing, let’s not cheat the voters out of all the facts.

[Letter to the Editor - South Bend Tribune. Submitted 09/07/2006.]