Elderly woman denied right to vote on election day in Somerville

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

I must report an incident I witnessed on election day at the high school.

A frail, elderly Hispanic citizen of limited English requested help in translating her ballot. A poll worker told her there was nothing to be done to assist her. I volunteered to translate but was rebuffed by the poll worker.

I have spent extended periods in several countries in active war zones and in areas where genocide was occurring. I have observed rigged elections and elections canceled by military dictatorships). I have friends who have been tortured, threatened by death squads and exiled.

In years past as a civil rights worker for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, I endured daily death threats, attempted ambushes, armed confrontations, bloody beatings and jailings over the right to vote. My house had many bullet holes.

I never thought I would witness a person effectively denied her franchise in the city in which I have lived my entire life.

Ms. Isobel Cheney, civics teacher to generations in hour public schools and dear friend to my family, would have been greatly displeased.

Respectfully,
John F. Babin
Summer Street