Reply #7: Well, I would say, don't hit people with everything at once.

[Peace Patriot]

Have compassion for people's various stages of realization regarding the failure of ALL of our democratic institutions. It's a hard thing to come to grips with, emotionally.*

However, if it's a Democratic Party leader that you are talking to, whose "eyes glaze over" at Bushite corporations counting all our votes behind a veil of secrecy, look for corruption, and possibly fear. There can be no other explanation for a party leader's disinterest in such a thing.**

In general, I would stress the non-transparency of the election system. It's a no-brainer. Try to get that simple point across--private corporations counting votes with 'trade secret' formulas, in insecure, hackable machines--and, in some places, with not even a paper trail. Then, who are these private corporations? (Ye gods.) Let people put 2+ 2 together for themselves.

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*I was telling a good friend of mine--not a stupid person, by any means--about the election system, and here's what she said: "But the Democrats wouldn't let that happen, would they?"

She was so attached to the idea that somehow democracy is still working in this country, that she could not see the obvious: The issue is not what the Democratic Party WOULD do. The issue is what the Democratic Party DID do. They permitted rightwing Bushite corporations to gain control of the tabulation of our votes with "trade secret" programming...without. one. word. of. objection.

I can see how this works on people. They want to believe in SOMETHING. It's hard for them--emotionally hard--to see the total failure of all checks and balances. And, of course, the war profiteering corporate news monopolies are constantly spinning the illusion that our system "works," that votes are correctly counted (no evidence for it--just believe it), etc.

I would just say, be gentle. Plant seeds. So the NEXT time they hear of this--and they will; it is the scandal of the ages--they will start understanding what has happened, and will strongly support election reform.

GuvWurld's "Voter Confidence Resolution" is a good tool, in this respect. It lays out the basis for transparent elections--that everyone must have confidence that the results are accurate. It is bipartisan, based on principles of good government and basic democratic concepts.

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**There are a number of examples of both corruption and fear at work, with regard to Bushite corporations counting our votes in secret. First of all, the "Help America Vote Act" was pushed through by the two biggest crooks in Congress, Tom Delay and Bob Ney. It was a very bad bill, with no controls on partisan vendors, no paper trail requirement, no controls on "trade secret" programming, no controls on lavish lobbying and "revolving door" employment, no controls on secret industry 'testing' of the machines, a time-line that forced states to rush into purchases of highly insecure, hackable voting systems, and underfunded regulation by a Bush-appointed commission. It was made to order for corruption, fraud and stolen elections.

Corruption: See Amaryllis' post, above, about the week of fun, sun and high-ending shopping, at the Beverly Hilton, sponsored by Diebold, ES&S and Sequoia, for election officials from around the country, last August 2005. Election system purchases were made amidst a pigsty of corruption during the 2002 to 2004 period. Another example is former Calif Republican Sec of State Bill Jones, and his chief aide Alfie Charles, going to work for Sequoia, after purchasing Sequoia and other election theft systems for California. Another is Calif Democratic legislative leaders who strongarmed other Democrats into NOT supporting our elected Democratic Sec of State, Kevin Shelley, who had sued Diebold and decertified the worst of their election theft machines prior to the 2004 election. The bad guys went after him and drove him from office on bogus charges. He was replaced by Schwarzenegger appointee, Republican Bruce McPherson, who has now ILLEGALLY re-certified the Diebold machines. What I suspect the Democratic legislative leaders of is involvement in OTHER state contracts for Diebold electronic services. I don't think they are in direct league with the Bushite fascists to rig the elections, but I do think they are corrupt. And the ones whom they strongarmed are fearful--fearful that they, too, might be unfairly driven from office, like Shelley was--or that Diebold & Co. will rig THEIR elections. The "iron curtain" that the Democratic leadership--state and national--has placed over this incredible election theft scandal continues to boggle my mind. I think we should not underestimate the forces of fear and corruption--and also, given credit where credit is due, when heroes like Debra Bowen, John Bonifaz, Ion Sancho and Russ Holt stand up and buck the powers-that-be on this vital issue, at great risk to themselves.

Diebold, ES&S and Sequoia have now ganged up on the heroic Florida election official Ion Sancho, who has dared to question the reliability of Diebold's and ES&S's hackable election theft machines. They are refusing to sell him the machines required by HAVA for handicapped voting. All three. It is anti-trust violation, to say the least. They will ruin him if they can.

We're in for a long, knock-down drag-out fight for our democracy. It is only just beginning. Have heart, CTyankee! Revolutions always start small, with a few true-hearted people.