If our vote doesn't count, neither does our voice.

[shance]

I know its tempting to allow ourselves to get caught up in the excitment and to become sidetracked and distracted by all the primary stories about John Kerry, John Edwards, and Ralph Nader.

What we need to realize, is essentially all of that is irrelevant right now.

The reality is, we arent going to be choosing our candidate, because with electronic voting, our votes are beholden and vulnerable to those who own the machines.

The reality is it is an illusion for us to think we have a legitimate election taking place.

I believe that every single American voter must come together now and address a problem that faces every one of us.

Republicans, Democrats, Greens, Independents must confront our election system right now with the same energy and passion that we engage in when we debate and discuss our candidates.

However, we need to shelve the focus on candidates right now and deal the real problem.

If we continue to deny the electronic voting issue, we will be allowing and promoting a broken and corrupt system to continue, and we are wasting our otherwise precious energy, and our future.

We should be discussing this issue like we have been discussing the 2004 election. If we dont, then I believe we will continue to be heartbroken and dismayed when the election results come in, and focusing inappropriate blame on candidates, when the overall blame should be placed on our current system.

Not to mention the greater reality: that our vote will continue to become more and more irrelevant, and so will our voice.

What can we do on local levels? Well, election reform meetups are already ocurring. House parties are a great way to get to know neighbors and meet new people, and you can include voting information found here at DU. Bev Harris's book on Blackbox voting is out and that would be a great way to get the information out and heck, promote a book written by a respected DUer and definitely a friend to Democracy.

I truly believe there is no greater issue confronting Lady Liberty. Lets continue to become more informed and take the initiative to get others informed and engaged around us. There is no wrong way to do it, the only wrong way would be to ignore the problem.

Id say our country and our freedom are worth it, wouldnt you?

[jansu]

1. I agree, I also think that * will "allow" a terrorist attack just before

the elections and then we will be at Red Alert and under that, we are on 24 hour curfew. No one allowed out of their house....no vote, sorry folks, as soon as it is safe again, we will have it. Bush has already said that this is a never ending war.....Hope this is just my mind taking a side trip from reality!

edit for the to that in subject line

[shance]

2. Well there are many what ifs* that could occur, however BBV is a reality

Electronic voting is an issue we can change, positively effect and ultimately STOP.

The foundation for implementing fair elections is poured, so to speak, and the law suits and publicity is already there to build upon and promote some enlightenment on the subject.

[undergroundpanther]

4. Kucinich says something on this ..

Since everyone is still hung up on what the media calls"electable"...
(basically letting corporations decide our candidate instead of focusing on issues,the media made dean look like a loon by looping his yell all day drilling deans unstable into people's minds).Kucinich is the only candidate with the balls to expose black box voting as a



http://www.kucinich.us/issues/e_voting.php

To me Kerry and Edwards seem too much like republican light.For the right wingers republican lite is preferable to a real liberal/moral challenge. This is why Kerry and Edwards are the preferred corporate choices to win the white house and so they are given more image presentation and air time.

Corporations don't want any threats to their power or hegemony so Sharpton and Kucinich are basically given unequal air time.This seems a very effective ploy to convince the public to think they remain "unelectable".

Don't fall for this crass manipulating of your choice,don't let your consent be engineered..folks.Please vote for a candidate with both your head and your heart,your conscience and your desire for a better country. Vote for a candidate based on how well they will handle the ISSUES facing this country that matter,ignore the media's opinions on it..Electing a president should not be reduced to a popularity contest RW suck up game and glamor/ego show. The fact that it has come to this shows me how the American democrats have let themselves be led away from their own liberal principals.



http://www.kucinich.us/issues/e_voting.php

[arewethereyet]

3. its worse than that

it Edwards keeps it close enough that Kerry doesn't get the delegateds outright, the super delegates have the power to pick whoever the party wants irrespective of who you voted for.

[shance]

5. Yes, yet another way to illegitimize the vote. All the more reason to

shelve the candidate hypothetical hashing and put our energy and time into an issue that truly will bring about the results we want, which is having fair elections and bringing the power back to communities, and voters at large.

The more we are involved and present, the healthier our nation becomes.

[RedEagle]

6. People lose sight of just how valuable controlling the vote is....

....at every level.

Control the candidate you run against.

Control the candidate who will win if it's obvious you can't
(Rigging would be over the top)

Factions within the party control the candidates.


You want power to the people? Let's get the vote working the way it's supposed to. Most frightening thing on earth for those in control now.

[shance]

7. Great points. It would seem to me that ultimately everyone would

want the "power to the people", so to speak, even those in power because in the long run an imbalance of power stifles everyones freedom, including those in power, not to mention it erodes the beauty, spontaneity and overall happiness at all levels, and ultimately a society loses its attraction that made it so desirable in the first place.

Seems like power is an addiction, just like cocaine, cigarettes and/or everything else. We think we have to have it, but fail to see when its killing us.