LOS ANGELES : At Rev. Jackson’s Urging, 200 Students Register to Vote

Responding to the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s call to have their voices heard, more than 200 Hamilton High School students accepted his summons to register as voters at an assembly this week.

Voting, Jackson told the 1,500 students in the school’s gymnasium Monday, is the way to empowerment. He said attacks on affirmative action and welfare, and the passage of the anti-illegal immigration measure, Proposition 187, amount to “open season on the poor. They just want to build more prisons for you.”

The hourlong visit by Jackson, in town for a conference of Baptist ministers, drew a raucous reception from the students, who responded to his every directive as if on cue.

Referring to Gov. Pete Wilson’s presidential bid--built around abolishing affirmative action and support for tough immigration reforms--Jackson told the predominantly African American and Latino students: “You can stop Wilson only if you register to vote.”

Asked by a reporter about his own presidential aspirations, Jackson said running “is a live option. But right now, the issue is empowering people, getting them to vote.”

Hamilton students have the opportunity to learn more about the world because of the school’s ethnically diverse population, Jackson said. Learning new languages and developing a respect for other cultures, Jackson said, will enable the students to “decide upon a new world order based on justice and peace, not violence and hate.”

After the assembly, senior Sear Nejati said he was impressed by Jackson’s plea to young voters. If more young people voted, “it would probably help the country,” he said.

Tamika Roberts said she enjoyed Jackson’s challenge to Wilson. “I don’t like Wilson,” Roberts said. “My mother doesn’t vote, so maybe I can make a change by voting.”