Help circulate this email w/ SHORT form letter & contact info

[snot]

I've been doing a lot of emailing, and just spammed my entire liberal and independent acquaintanceship with the following, which I'm providing in case you'd like to use it. It's aimed at a different audience than some of the other (excellent) forms I've found on this site and includes a very SHORT form of letter or e-mail PLUS addresses for some key officials and media. My e-mail starts next.

Hi, there. This message contains a new form for a letter or e-mail that you can use, plus some new info.

As you may be aware, there have been numerous documented reports of problems affecting the recent elections. For now, we can't be certain whether there was significant, systematic tampering that actually changed who won; but unfortunately that possibility cannot be ruled out. However, thousands of dedicated, reputable academics, lawyers, and other good folks all over the country are working very hard to assemble and analyze the evidence.

We don't know what the results of an official investigation might be, but it is painfully clear that such an investigation is needed.

If you have speakers on your computer, you can see the first t.v. news on this matter at: http://homepage.mac.com/duffyb/nobush/iMovieTheater270.... . It does a pretty good job of covering some of the many known problems or discrepancies as of yesterday (Nov. 9).

Another great starting point for info is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_U.S._Election_controv...

I think it's best for us to take the lead on this matter. If Kerry had demanded a recount, esp. before the evidence was developed, there would have been a firestorm. Public figures who press for investigation may be attacked like we've never seen before. Their credibility will be undermined; their careers may be destroyed.

But if there's a continuing outcry by enough of us, an official investigation will be commenced. Later, Kerry and others can get involved without looking like mere muckrakers.

Meanwhile, it's critical that we keep up our energy and determination, and keep the ball rolling.

I think for now, the best thing we can do is to e-mail or contact both our governmental representatives (both federal and state) and the key media outlets. Many of these folks are already being flooded with e-mails and letters--probably the main reason that hints at the problems have finally begun to surface in the media. We've got to keep up the pressure.

Here is a form letter you can use (feel free to revise), and below is contact info for some people to e-mail or send it to. Even if you've never written such folks before, I urge you to do so now, and to continue to do so until our concerns about election integrity have been satisfied.

I will also include below in this message some addresses to webpages with additional info.

And IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION about any kind of problem in connection with the election, please report it to [email protected] (this is per a request from Kerry's brother, Cameron Kerry) and at http://www.blackboxvoting.org/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.c... (the latter is Bev Harris's site, the woman who spearheaded most folks' awareness of the problems with paperless machines).

PLEASE pass this on to everyone you think might help, and thanks!

FORM LETTER:


Dear _______________:

I am writing to urge you to call for investigation of possible tampering with the tabulations of votes in the recent election and other reported problems. (Information on these problems can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_U.S._Election_controv... .)

Like most of us, I would be vastly relieved if I could be confident that no significant tampering or obstruction occurred.

But the problems and discrepancies appear so serious, that I believe thorough investigation and analysis are necessary (and as soon as possible), both in order to restore public confidence and to assure the future integrity of our election process.

Sincerely,

___________________

PEOPLE TO E-MAIL OR CONTACT:

MEDIA:

Here's a site where you can find contact info for your local and other print media:
http://www.mapinc.org/media.htm

The Atlantic Monthly
[email protected]
Website: http://www.theatlantic.com /
Feedback: http://www.theatlantic.com/letters/fdbk.htm
Address: 77 North Washington Street, Boston, MA 02114

The Economist
[email protected]
Website: http://www.economist.com /
111 West 57th Street, New York NY 10019 (US office)
Fax: [phone]

Harper's Magazine
[email protected]
Website: http://www.harpers.org /
666 Broadway, New York, New York, 10012
Fax: [phone]

The New York Times - [email protected], [email protected]

The New Yorker - [email protected]

The Nation - http://www.thenation.com/contact/lett

Los Angeles Times - http://www.latimes.com/services/site/la-comment-oped,0,...

USA Today - [email protected]

National Public Radio - [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

BBC News - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/help/3281777.stm

SOME GOVERNMENTAL OFFICIALS:

To confirm who your current State representatives in Texas are, go to:
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us

Senator Thomas Daschle: FX: 202-224-6603, 509 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510-4103

Senator John Kerry: http://kerry.senate.gov/bandwidth/contact/email.html

Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (one of the signers of the Judiciary Committee's letters to the GAO requesting an official investigation): http://www.house.gov/conyers/letstalk.htm

WEBPAGES WITH ADDITIONAL INFO:

Here is a (second) letter from members of the House Judiciary Committee to the General Accounting Office requesting an official investigation:
http://www.house.gov/judiciary_democrats/gaoinvestvote2...

Here's a great place to start looking at the info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_U.S._Election_controv...

The following charts can be found on this site, which contains lots of helpful info and links: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

Truth:

Fiction:

Here are some more interesting tables: http://ustogether.org/Florida_Election.htm

The following article can be found at http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1106-30.htm :
Evidence Mounts That The Vote May Have Been Hacked, by Thom Hartmann
"When I spoke with Jeff Fisher this morning (Saturday, November 06, 2004), the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 16th District said he was waiting for the FBI to show up. Fisher has evidence, he says, not only that the Florida election was hacked, but of who hacked it and how. And not just this year, he said, but that these same people had previously hacked the Democratic primary race in 2002 so that Jeb Bush would not have to run against Janet Reno, who presented a real threat to Jeb, but instead against Bill McBride, who Jeb beat." Etc.

[bluedonkey]

1. How can

you start a thread with only 17 posts?

[snot]

2. Sorry

I don't know.

[ChiciB1]

3. HEY... I know there are some rules but

Have they been lifted yet??? I say let this one flow!!

[snot]

4. Thanks . . .

Been working pretty hard trying to find something constructive to do.

If you think the draft e-mail could be helpful, pls help get it circulated. Maybe folks could add contact info for their own State's representatives.

[bluedonkey]

5. Sorry

didn't mean to sound testy.I was really just curious.
You did a remarkable job putting all this together.
Thank you.

[ektodemo]

6. How to make it spread, making it "news"

What will bring something to the main agenda, making it "news"? Trying to sort things out:

- The news itself (being picked up voluntarily by journalists etc.)
- Conventional pushing (pressure from below or top)
- New/remarkable strategies (actionism, unusual side effects, humor etc)

I think the last point here is important, as it is unclear if the regular ways of getting attention is working. There is a gap between bloggers/alternative forums etc and the Big Media agenda. How to cross that chasm?

If you asked Seth Godin (idea virus guru, sethgodin.com), he would probably say something like: "Make it remarkable, make it easy to get the idea, make it easy to spread." Here are some suggestions, I am sure there are many more possibilities.

- A "flyer" in the form of a large ( f.ex. 1000x800 pixels) .jpg. The advantage: easy to read and to spread.
- Could someone make a song about it? (Right now thepartyparty.com has made a song "The war president sings U2s Sunday bloody Sunday", http://www.audiostreet.net/artists/006/407/song_sunday_bloody_sunday.html which seems to get spread a lot)

This is a case where a lot of information is flying in the air. What is needed is to present the case as brief as possible (is there a list of the 10 clearest cases?). This should be spread as wide as possible.

A quote that seems relevant:
"What's happening is the Options-Validity effect. There’s an inverse relationship between the options--the number of media outlets and sources of information--and the validity--how rational, fact based, and constructive--of those options. More now than ever, America is faced with an unprecedented number of options and an unprecedented lack of media validity and integrity." (from http://blog.changethis.com/readandpass/ )

[HEAVYHEART]

7. Good job

Keep up with the emails. I've been doing the same. Bump!

[tommcintyre]

8. kick

[tommcintyre]

9. worth another kick

[Kellis]

10. Thank You!!

:kick: