Jeffries: Remove offensive
language from federal code
Over 1,000 vote in
BVI Advance Polling
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Caribbean L 14 ife, March 1–7, 2019 BQ
TEL:
By Nelson A. King
A bill co-authored by a
Brooklyn Congressman aims
to remove outdated and offensive
language from federal code
and replace it with appropriate
terms of respect.
The bipartisan 21st Century
Respect Act, authored by Rep.
Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) and
Rep. Steve Chabot (OH-01) on
Feb. 26 passed the United States
House of Representatives as a
fully incorporated part of S.47,
the Natural Resources Management
Act.
Jeffries, whose district comprises
parts of Brooklyn and
Queens, said instances of outdated
language include Title 36
of the Code of Federal Regulations,
which still uses the term
“Eskimo” to refer to certain
indigenous Americans from
Alaska.
“People in many parts of
the Arctic consider Eskimo a
derogatory term, because it
was widely used to connote
barbarism and violence,” said
Jeffries, who sits on the House
of Representatives’ Judiciary
and Budget Committees.
He said Title 7 also includes
the terms “Oriental” and
“Negro,” “which are terms of
disparagement.”
Jeffries said the 21st Century
Respect Act replaces those
pejoratives with “Asian American
or Pacific Islander” and
“Black or African American,”
respectively.
“These new terms reflect
America’s growth and progress,”
he said. “To achieve a more
perfect union, all Americans,
regardless of origin, identity or
gender, should be treated with
respect and dignity.
“It is long past time that
deeply offensive and hurtful
terms in our laws including
‘Oriental,’ ‘Eskimo,’ and ‘Negro’
be eliminated,” Jeffries added.
“I thank Congressman Chabot
for his work on this critical
effort.”
Chabot said: “Our legal system
is based on the fundamental
principle that all Americans
are equal before the law.
“However, that basic right
is undermined when the language
of the law itself demeans
or disrespects members of our
society,” he said. “The bipartisan
legislation approved by the
House today helps to rectify
this inequity by eliminating
offensive, disrespectful terminology
from federal law.
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries
has co-authored a bill
to remove outdated and offensive
language from federal
code. Hakeem Jeffries
By Nelson A. King
Supervisor of Elections
in the British Virgin Islands
(BVI) Juliette Penn says
that 1,120 persons voted on
Advance Polling Day on Feb.
21 and not 1,118 as was previously
reported.
Penn said the oversight was
reported in the First District,
where 140 votes were cast and
not 138 as was first reported.
“This is an increase of 234
votes from the last election,
where a total of 886 ballots
were cast,” she said.
Penn said the polls opened
from 9 am until 2 pm at nine
stations in the Territory.
The Amendments to the
Elections Act of 1994 permits
a voter who is incapacitated
by reason of being an elderly
person, illiterate, or any
physical cause to be able to
vote with the assistance of a
friend, Penn said.
She said the term “friend”
also includes family and relatives.
“This category of voter has
the option to take advantage
of Advance Polling Day,” the
Supervisor of Elections said.
With the recent passing of
the Elections (Amendment)
Act, 2019, Penn said new provisions
for Advance Poll were
introduced.
She said persons on
remand and persons traveling
in advance of the date of the
General Elections can now
vote at Advance Poll.
Penn said Advance Polling
Day is also for election officers
and police officers who
will work on Polling Day,
Monday, Feb. 25.
“The Office of the Supervisor
of Elections is committed
to ensuring fair and clean
elections,” the statement
said.
BVI Government said 41
candidates will be contesting
the February 25 poll.
Twenty-five candidates,
including four political parties
and one independent, will
contest the elections in nine
districts, while 15 candidates
will contest the poll as At-
Large Candidates.