The Real Heros in the Fight to Expose Election Problems & Fraud

[AmyCrat]

"The People are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty" -Jefferson

Look around. Look at each other. Every person here taking a stand is a hero. Every single one of you doing research, writing letters, planning and participating in protests, making phones calls, hanging signs, handing out flyers and engaging your family, friends and co-workers in discussion about this -- you are the heros.

The old cliche - never put all your eggs in one basket - is particular useful right now.

Keith Olbermann is someone we should acknowledge. He's been covering the fraud and irregularities steadily since November 8th. We don't want to lose that momentum. That doesn't mean we shouldn't keep writing to him with questions, concerns and information. It doesn't mean he is a savior that rises above us all... he is a concerned citizen, just like you or me.

Bev Harris is someone we should acknowledge. She's put a great deal of time and effort into exposing black box voting and election fraud. We don't want to lose that momentum. That doesn't mean we shouldn't stay on top of her efforts and write to her if we think she's making some mistakes or making some strides. It doesn't mean she's the election fraud god that we should bow to... she is a concerned citizen, just like you or me.

John Kerry was our candidate. At times we've felt he's abandoned us. At other times there's been glimpses of hope he's working behind the scenes. But all is not lost if Kerry never takes a stand. All is not won if he hits the scene with vim and vigor.

It is up to all of us. It is up to the American People to protect it's democracy. It is up to every red, white and blue patriot to say "enough is enough, this is NOT okay!" We must gather in the streets, we must knock on doors, we must continue to write letters and hang signs, we must exhaust our little printers in running off fraud flyers, and we must continue to BELIEVE that this is the right thing to do.

This is a cause worth fighting for. For us. For our children.

And everyday we log in, every day we engage in discussion, every day we get along or we argue, we must look at each other and remember, to follow the herd is the easy way out. Going against the grain is hard. Barking when others expect you to be Baahing takes courage.

We must pull together and listen to one another. We should be open-minded to change our path as necessary. Our ears should remain open to the criticisms and if adjustments needs to be made, we should make them. That is what being a liberal is all about:

lib·er·al
a. Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.
b. Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.

There are many leaders among us, not just one or two.
Whether you write a letter to right a wrong, or start your own organization to organize change, we are all working to strengthen the cause.

The heros of democracy are the people who fight to protect it. For that, you are all heros.

* * *

[mary195149]

1. Great job. We need to stay focused. n/t

[enough]

2. Also, expecting good leaders to be heroes weakens them.

I agree fully that everyone who is actively working on this issue (many here on DU) is a hero.

It bothers me that there is a tendency to put the added burden of being a public hero on top of anyone who gets out in front and leads on an issue.

Bev is a perfect example. She has been tireless, imaginative, dedicated for years. She does not also have to be the perfect public spokesperson, the perfect strategist, the perfect HERO. She needs to keep doing what she does so well. If others think there should be a different strategy, then they should get busy and implement it.

If we put too much expectation on any one person, we weigh that person down with an impossible task, we interfere with that person's work, and we weaken ourselves and our cause.

[AmyCrat]

3. and...

"If we put too much expectation on any one person, we weigh that person down with an impossible task, we interfere with that person's work, and we weaken ourselves and our cause."

If we put too much expectation on any one person, if that person "falls from grace" so does the whole cause.

[enough]

7. true

[PATRICK]

12. That is a constant pattern by the way

that didn't even start with Jesus who got the whole treatment until the parroted meme of blasphemy got him a ticket to the Procurator's execution judgment.

Parnell, Clinton. Calumny, branding. Entrapment. Cherrypicking a controversial quote. Putdowns, dismissals, use of fear and threats. Finally the execution of the rebel and the cause. There is nothing new or even fascist in the "modern"" genius of the GOP. It is an ancient pride and evil lashing out like one of Pavlov's demon dogs.

Whenever I see a person treated that way do I think, well, there IS that dress, that illegitimate child, that yell. No I think "there THEY go again" and they don't even expect the mob to buy it, just follow the lead attack.

This issue is bigger than person, party, event and even the fate of America itself. Would we were a little guy like the Ukraine other than the mega gorilla responsible for defining democracy and justice worldwide. As a nation we have lost ourselves and endangered mankind. Many many innocent deaths have occurred as a first result. As Americans we have a duty never to concede the broader struggle. The Revolution continues. In the end it is the only thing thing that will "move on" from here. The drear corporate empire WILL perish from this earth.

[Kelvin Mace]

11. The only expectation

I place on Bev is that of fairness. If you no longer like your allies, then simply split with them cordially. Do not abuse them on the phone and in emails. Do not libel and slander them. Do not threaten to sue them. Do not rewrite history to marginalize or ignore their contributions.

Is that too much too ask?

David Allen
www.thoughtcrimes.org

[mod mom]

4. Our voices will be mass media coverage!

Although there are a few brave souls out their covering the story, OUR VOICES will be the wake up call. We will not roll over and move on until we are assured a full investigation of the election occurs and the wrong are made right! Great Writing AC! Hope you will join us in Columbus, we need your spirit!

[intelle]

5. Amycrat, excellent post

I agree with you 100%

:toast:

[Shalom]

6. If We Only Lived In Jefferson's Day...

In Jefferson's time, the people could still take matters directly into their own hands: they had to, since they did not have free and fair elections.

As a result of the victorious War of Independence, Americans partially won the right to free and fair elections: while imperfect, the new system was much better than the old.

Over the centuries, some of the deficiencies in out voting system were finally fixed, primarily by finally allowing blacks and women to vote.

In the modern era, the worst fears of Orwell's 1984 have been realized: a frightened and intimidated populace who fear the Secret Police, a constant state of "Wag the Dog" wars against a shifting series of enemy countries, televised hate sessions against a constantly changing array of "enemies of the state", and of course, "Big Bush Brother" invading our homes through omnipresent TV screens, telling us how much he loves us and how much he is doing for us, and who we get to "vote" for in phony elections.

As such, we are much worse off than those in Jefferson's time, as it is not easy to defeat technological totalitarianism as it was to overturn despots in the 18th century. THEY CAN NOW CONTROL OUR MINDS: NOT ALL OF US (IT'S NOT NECESSARY), BUT ALWAYS ENOUGH TO STAY IN POWER.

Yes, like Winston Smith in 1984, we are heroes for trying to fight Big Brother.

But how do we win ? Any ideas ?

[Karenca]

8. Kick

Well said!

[Helga Scow Stern]

9. Looking for heroes is what got us in this mess in the first place....

by giving away our voice in government. Although I know many have struggled very hard to get that back over the years, our country has been asleep. We have got to be our own heroes now.

I hope that as many of us who can go show up in Columbus this weekend, ready to roar.

[Kelvin Mace]

10. Great post, as far as it goes

but you see that is what is frustrating a lot of old-timers at DU who watched this issue from its incenption on DU. You thank two people by name, but don't realize (and this is NOT a dig at you, I apprecitae your post) how many other folk on this board and in the media have fought just as hard and taken just as many risks:

From the much maligned, "locked down" media.

1) Alistare Thompson - Scoop New Zealand
2) Kim Zetter - Wired News
3) Rachel Konrad - AP
4) Ronnie Dugger - Freelancer and earliest reporter on the job (1988)
5) Julie Carr-Smyth - Cleaveland Plain Dealer
6) Farhad Manjoo - Salon.com
7) Lex Alexander (Bev's editor who she refuses to recognize)

Bev's invaluable assistants,collegues, and other advocates in the war

1) Roxanne Jekot - Organized the team to analyze the Diebold code, built the .org web site, bain of Cathy Cox in Georgia
2) Eloriel - Tireless advocate
3) Kim Alexander - California's champion
4) The Johns Hopkins team (Rubin, Wallach, et al) who risked their job to publish the Hopkin Report on Diebold's Code
5) David Dill at Stanford
6) Doug Jones - University of Iowa
7) Rebecca Mercuri - Notable Software
8) Joyce McCloy - North Carolina's champion
9) The students at Swarthmore
10) The EFF
11) Buzzflash.com
12) Bartcop.com
13) DU

And this list is by no means exhaustive. Other long time DUers should feel free to fill in the gaps.

David Allen
www.thoughtcrimes.org

[smartvoter]

13. She was addressing the current rift, not excluding anyone.

I think there are too many raw nerves out here right now.

[AmyCrat]

14. I understand you both :)

I don't think David was being too critical... but SmartV, thanks for the back-up :) and you got it. It was generally responding to three notions out there right now, believe or bash Keith and only Keith, believe or bash Bev and only Bev, and JK is our savior-in-waiting (or not). We are the heros too! And we are the ones that can demand change!

[Kelvin Mace]

16. And I wasn't accusing her

Re-read my post, I was expanding on hers.

David Allen
www.thoughtcrimes.org

[AmyCrat]

19. it includes you, and me and everyone at DU

and all the people on your list and many others. We agree on that :)

[WiseFawn]

15. Wonderful Post!

Well said!!

[Blue in the face]

17. Well said,

Now can we please make that the last time that we allow ourselves to be distracted from the bigger picture?

[understandinglife]

18. Bravo!

"I Declare The 2004 Election Invalid: Someone I do not know was prevented from voting"

[rehema]

20. kick

[AmyCrat]

25. and another

[bearfan454]

21. That's all good and all that, but

so far we still have the same end result. Let's fight harder and make sure the results get challenged by a Senator.

[pointsoflight]

22. Thank you, a voice of reason.

We risk damaging our fight for the greater cause by this bickering over who said what, who seems to be more trustworthy, etc. Can't we set aside our personal opinions and return focus to the cause? The clock is ticking. Every day and every hour matters right now.

[pauldp]

23. Thank You!

For eloquently saying what I've been thinking since last night!

We can overcome our differences and flaws for the sake of our country.

The only thing that matters is getting the people to stand up NOW!

The question is how do we get everyone to stand up?

[AmyCrat]

24. I hope we're exploring that

While the arguments may sometimes seem distracting, I hope the outcome can be we're a stronger force to be reckoned with. Sometimes democracy is messy :) -- that's why all this discussions are important.

[Vidar]

26. Good post, AmyCrat.

[AmyCrat]

27. thanks and kick