I’m sure that most people who watched it believe that they now know all of the important information about dirty politics in South Carolina, but somehow, NOW made no mention at all that South Carolina’s election would be conducted on touch screen computers. Was it sloppy journalism or smoke and mirrors to give the illusion that the press is playing its role of informing the public? I guess that they were just too busy to have someone spend an hour to find out the truth and report it. Will they NOW? Why don’t you ask them?
I hope that you realize that our corporate media and our government media have been playing along with the charade of the Neo-cons for years. They repeat the government’s lies that the consumer price index is only going up 3% a year when the price of milk, bread, eggs, and many other basic foods have nearly doubled in the last few years. They repeat the lies about the crime rate being the lowest in 30 years when we all know that is just absurd, at least those of us who are over 40.
So, what can you do? First, you need to understand what our Founders knew. You need to demand that your fundamental rights are respected. You need to remind the powers that be that all power is inherent in the people. You need to act now before more suffer, before the grip of those in power grows more oppressive. You need to act now to demand that your peaceful right to remove bad leaders is respected, preserved, and restored. Honest elections are the only way to avoid the violence and suffering that come with tyranny, oppression, and eventual revolution.
Ask yourself, what do you think Martin Luther King and those who worked for years in the civil rights movement would do? Would they stand by and let the fundamental right to equal treatment under the law and at the polls be taken away by a regime that wants to count their votes in secret? I think that Dr. King would be leading the effort to demand public vote counting. Some of his disciples are still around, but I haven’t heard their voices on this issue yet.
What will Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton do? Will they call for South Carolina to follow its Constitution and count the votes in the open for all to see? I know that they have the power to reach millions. I have seen their rallies in Jena, Louisiana, and I have joined in their rally for justice for Martin Anderson in Tallahassee, Florida. Will these civil rights leaders call for action to protect our rights to have our votes counted in the open? I hope so. Let’s ask them.
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Sam Adams, John Adams, John Hancock, Patrick Henry, Thomas Paine, Paul Revere, Nathan Hale, and thousands of other brave Americans stood against the most powerful nation on Earth to fight tyranny and give us the opportunity to govern ourselves. Do you think that they would stand by and let our votes get counted in secret? I don’t think so. I think that they would take up arms if our leaders refused to restore public vote counts.
Anyone who has thought about this for a few minutes realizes that we can restore election integrity overnight. The vote can be cast on paper, placed in a ballot box in public view in each precinct, and counted in public in the precinct when the polls close. This can be done immediately with little need to add any more poll workers and with great savings on expensive, unreliable, and untrustworthy voting machines.
Those who refuse to restore public vote counting should be removed from power. Their effort to violate our fundamental right is obvious. Those who are running for office should demand an immediate restoration of public vote counts. Those who do not act now do not deserve your trust or your support.
The leadership of the two parties which have actively participated in taking away our rights and endangering our future deserve no support. It’s time for change in Washington, in South Carolina, in state and local governments throughout our country, and in the leadership of the parties from the national level to the state and local levels. As Lee Iacocca said in his new book, "Where Have All the Leaders Gone," "It’s time to throw the bums out!"
It’s time to throw out their secret vote counting computers, too. Secret vote counting was good for Hitler and Stalin, but it’s not good enough for me, and I hope that it’s not good enough for you either! It’s time to stop conducting elections on computers that count our votes in secret! It’s time to take our country back!
Here is how you can help. Call and email the campaigns of those leaders listed below who should and could take action on this issue. Ask them to demand that South Carolina conduct its election in a manner which is Constitutional, where the votes are counted in the open rather than in secret on a computer.
Help spread the word. Email this to your contacts. Print this out, and mail it or give it to those who are not online. Take action now to preserve our right to control our government. In case enough people do not step up and demand change, help me conduct an exit poll and help make sure that any tampering is exposed. Please go to www.VoteCount2008.org to help now.
Thank you for your time, attention, and effort to help preserve our right to control our government. The contact information follows for the Presidential Candidates and the leaders who might take a stand to protect our democracy.
Congressman Dennis Kucinich
http://www.dennis4president.com/home/
