Anwar's Reflections Hosts Senate Debate To Combat Voter Apathy

TRENTON--"Anwar's Reflections"-- a Trentonian affiliate, in association with Occupy the Hood NJ will be hosting a U.S. Senate debate October 17th at Mercer County Community College from 4 to 6 pm to combat voter apathy.

This debate was born out of a concern for voter apathy.Voter apathy refers to a situation where eligible Americans choose to boycott participation in elections, for whatever reason.

This November 6th, the President, U.S. Senators, and different members of the legislature will all be on the ballot.

According to Real Clear Politics, 56.2% of the people say that the country is going in the wrong direction.

Indeed, as more and more citizens wrestle with unemployment, rising prices, and a lack of healthcare, it would seem that for this year's election, the stakes could not be any higher. However, whether people will actually turn out this year is another question. Alas, even as it is recognized that voter turnout has increased over the last three presidential elections according to CBS News, there is still this nagging sense that more and more people are showing a lack of interest in politics or the political process due to busy schedules, cynical resignation, or perhaps even due to their sheer confusion about how the voting process works, it makes one wonder how many people will actually turn out to vote.

And to make matters worse, across the nation, there have been changes made to voting laws that could potentially affect "minorities", the elderly and student populations. Many of these laws require that voters present identification at the time of voting. According to TechnicianOnline Staff Writer Lindsey Rosenbaum, "these laws were mainly implemented by Republican congressmen in an attempt to fight voter fraud, but some voting rights advocates see this instead as voter suppression targeting main Democratic demographics". For more on this issue, click here.

With these sorts of issues looming, "Anwar's Reflections"-- a Trentonian affiliate, in association with Occupy the Hood NJ, have decided to hold a U.S. Senate debate at Mercer County Community College's Kerney Hall located in Downtown Trenton October 17th from 4 to 6 pm. 

The event is designed to raise awareness about the upcoming election and to encourage involvement in the democratic process. Information on how to register to vote will be available for those that need it.

During the debate, we will be discussing a variety of issues affecting Mercer County and urban centers like Trenton. We will address issues like jobs, workforce development, and the role of government. If you are interested in submitting debate questions, click here.

Greg Pason of the Socialist Party, Inder Soni, Kenneth Kaplan of the Libertarian Party, and Daryl Brooks of the Reform Nation Political Party have all confirmed that they can attend. Democratic Senator Robert Menendez and Republican candidate Joe Kyrillos have also been invited, but as of today, they have not confirmed their attendance.

Food and refreshments will be available.

For more information on the event, contact Anwar Salandy at 609.968.6114 or email him at anwarsalandy@ymail.com.

Local Firebrand Takes Another Shot At Public Office

TRENTON-- Local activist makes yet another bid for U.S. Senate this November. Longtime Trenton resident and political firebrand Daryl Brooks sat down with Anwar's Reflections--  a Trentonian affiliate-- to discuss his candidacy Tuesday afternoon.

During the nearly one hour interview, Brooks spoke about issues like education, jobs, and immigration.

The political malcontent took no time in calling out a number of community leaders and activists for what he deemed to be their failure in addressing issues like crime, education, jobs, and prisons.

From West Ward Councilman Zachary Chester to Trentonian talk show host Darren Freedom Green, Brooks took no prisoners as he spoke about the city's crisis of leadership. Brooks went on to say that these leaders are too busy singing, dancing, and having 'cookouts' to tackle today's problems. He said today's leaders are weak and "have no ideas".

Aside from the community's woes, Brooks also spoke about two hallmarks of his political campaign, immigration and education.

The outspoken activist is no stranger to running for political office. In the past, he ran two senate campaigns that proved unsuccessful. Over the year's, the local activist's political career has been marred by a 1995 conviction for lewdness, endangerment of a child, and assault. At that time, Trenton, NJ police and prosecutors claimed that Brooks flashed two adolescent aged girls. Since day one, Brooks has maintained his innocence.

After being released from prison, Brooks published an audiobook chronicling his life. Over the years, the Trenton activist has made it a point to fight for issues affecting the prison industrial complex, violence, and other forms of injustice. He is currently a member of the Tea Party and has affiliations with Occupy the Hood NJ and Occupy Trenton.

For more information on Brooks or his campaign, visit his website by clicking here.

Please see the video below to see Brooks take to task community leaders: 

For access to the entire interview, click below: