Tuesday, June 4, 2024
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A View From the Ground
News and information about politics, government, civic participation and engagement from the URL Media network.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes a speech at the BJP headquarters in Delhi, India after the 2024 Lok Sabha election results. Credit: Bharatiya Janata Party via YouTubeIndian Elections 2024: Modi claims victory: After a 12-week general election period, voting in India ended earlier today with Prime Minister Narendra Modi claiming victory for a record third term as head of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “Today’s victory is the victory of the world’s largest democracy,” said Modi in front at BJP’s headquarters in New Delhi.
As India Currents reports, while Modi will likely become Prime Minister for a third term, his party, the BJP will have to form a government under the NDA umbrella which includes allies like the Janata Dal (U) and the Telugu Desam Party. Together, the alliance is estimated to win 290 seats, representing a majority in the 543-member Lok Sabha, but is significantly lower than the tallies suggested by most exit polls.
A piece by Scroll, which has been providing regular updates and in-depth reporting on the 2024 Lok Sabha election, highlights that the elections have been marred by by allegations of vote suppression and alleged intimidation of opposition candidates in some constituencies, divisive campaign speeches by key politicians, incendiary campaign advertisements and instances of post-poll violence in some regions.
Additionally, Modi has targeted and scapegoated Indian Muslims, a minority group comprising 220 million people or 14% of the population, with hate speech and animus throughout his Party's election campaign. He claimed that the nation's Congress would redistribute wealth from one group of Indians into the hands of Indian Muslims and that Congress would give preferential treatment to Muslims on the national sports team, referring to the community as "infiltrators" and "jihadis." In an op-ed published in Scroll, Sajjad Hassan writes "This [election] will have serious consequences for Muslims and for Indian society, already [polarized] beyond repair."
What voters thought about Mexico’s presidential election days before Sheinbaum’s historic win: Mexico held its largest elections ever with nearly 100 million people in the country and abroad voting, and the nation made history Sunday night by electing its first woman president, Claudia Sheinbaum, a former Mexico City mayor and descendant of Holocaust survivors. However, this story published days before the election by palabra., centered on a rare survey commissioned by the El Paso-based bilingual nonprofit newsroom Puente News Collaborative, goes beyond the national headlines about Sheinbaum breaking 200 years of male leadership. It reveals the attitudes and perspectives of 1,000 geographically diverse Mexicans and their views on the nation's export-fueled economy, relationship with the United States, and the influx of migrants into the country.
The survey, which is slightly skewed towards individuals living near the U.S.-Mexico border, also highlighted which Mexican presidential candidate respondents felt was most capable of dealing with the U.S., and which U.S. presidential candidate they believe is most fit to work with Mexico. The survey indicated that Sheinbaum and Joe Biden were the preferred candidates, with only 11% favoring Donald Trump.
The poll also revealed voter anxiety as well as apathy and fears this election cycle. “Elections in Mexico don’t worry me much, because nothing really changes,” said Miguel Vargas, 68, a taxi driver in Ciudad Juarez, which borders El Paso. “What I’m really worried about is Trump coming back to office. I’m scared he’ll shut down the international bridges and that will kill us financially.”
LGBTQ elders are returning to the closet. Affordable housing can keep them out: It's Pride Month, and while many of us may be celebrating queer culture and representation, many LGBTQ elders are also concerned about housing. While housing isn't only a problem for older queer people, for the community's aging population, especially those who are Black or transgender, housing insecurity is often exacerbated by discrimination. Also, the thought of moving into a nursing home can be a scary prospect for many people who worry that they will be abused, neglected or denied care in senior living communities.And there's proof behind this fear.
According to the civil rights organization Equal Rights Center, 48% of older same-sex couples applying for elder housing have, in fact, experienced discrimination. “I spent a decade as a nursing home administrator in Florida, and part of that was seeing folks re-closet themselves for fear of discrimination,” says Darcy Connors, the Executive Director of SAGEServes, a division within SAGE, which is the nation's oldest and largest non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ+ older people, focusing on the issue of LGBTQ+ aging.
Because of this discrimination, many may retreat into their closets or "re-closet" their sexual identities after being openly queer for a long time.
Explore the challenges facing older queer people as well as solutions in this piece from Epicenter-NYC →More: Black. Trans. Two Spirit. When Intersectionality Meets Pride. (URL Media)
Unpacking Biden and Harris' Black voter campaign launch in Philadelphia: In a rare joint appearance, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned in Philadelphia last week as part of the administration's new "Black Voters for Biden-Harris" campaign, which it is launching this summer in preparation for November’s election. The campaign aims to deepen the administration’s engagement with Black voters through sizable investment, reportedly in the eight-figure range, and programming for Black organizations, community groups and students. Biden and Harris’ visit last week began at Girard College, a boarding school in Philadelphia with a large Black student body.
WURD Radio's General Manager, Ashanti Martin was there and appeared on air last week to debrief listeners on the visit. She says the message focused on Biden’s common refrain of "promises made; promises kept" these past four years, reminding voters of the administration's accomplishments, including capping insulin costs for seniors, investing $16 billion in HBCUs and reducing overdraft fees. 🎧 Listen to the full episode here →
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