Letters to the Editor/<br>  Free Press Forum

[Editor's note: the following letter is in reference to http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2004/986

I agree we need paper trails, and that Blackwell and Co. manipulated the results in various and obvious ways, - openly for those who want to see it.  However, the Anybody But Bush'ers seem to be filled with if only's.  If only Nader had not run in 2000, if only Kerry had won, if only the election were fair Kerry would have, if only the "little people" would just listen to them, -the ABB'ers.  If only guys like me would not point out the obvious as well-that we need to start first with the little people and not with the elitists.

Aside from Joan Lesko Giardina’s excellent letter to the editor on August 19 and Tom Zeller’s unconscionable attempt (in his Nevember 12 article) to discount the preponderance of “Votergate” elections rigging evidence, virtually nothing has appeared in the “NY Times” that would indicate that the American people are truly indignant over the theft of their votes. The fact is, however, that they are. That is the reason that the people’s votes are about to be recounted in Washington and Ohio. What every true American knows ­ and most every Ukrainian, Canadian, Latin American, African, Asian, and European definitely knows happened ­ is that the US elections were rigged. 80% of America’s votes were counted on machines supplied by ES&S and Diebold, the CEOs of which are strong Republican contributors that possessed the wish of delivering the vote to their pre-selected candidate, G.W. Bush. On November 2, that’s exactly what they did. The always-highly-reliable exit polls declare that the people voted for John Kerry.

Why hasn’t the media given the present activities to get a vote recount in Ohio and Florida legs (http://www.gregplast.com)?

Did you realize that the Election 2004 in Ohio and Florida has been seen to be Fraudulent and activities are being conducted to get a recount and investigation of these elections?

To Voters (and Those Who Should have if they didn't),  

Due to recent Voter Disparities and Fraud in Columbus/Cleveland Ohio (and elsewhere throughout America) a Congressional Forum was held at Columbus City Council.  Rep John Conyers, Rep Maxine Waters, Rep Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Rev Jesse Jackson, and Rep Ted Strickland came to Columbus to hear Testimonies regarding the Improprieties in the Black neighborhoods. 

It was a good turn out (could have and should have been more Black people in attendance).  Rep John Conyers, a long time Fighter, Rev Jesse Jackson (who has been here a couple of times in recent weeks)  and Rep Maxine Waters...a Mighty, Strong Warrior, who continues to Stand Up, Speak Up and Show up for the People, were here to Listen, Ask Questions and Take Notes.  I was glad to see them.  I Appreciate that.

If you wish to resist in a nonviolent fashion the deeds of both George W. Bush and those who do his bidding, you have to be prepared.

You have to be prepared to continue speaking out when you see something wrong, whether it is an immoral, evil war in Iraq or the further impoverishment of your fellow citizens here at home. You have to be prepared to do this without hatred, without physical aggression, without name calling, and without exaggeration or outright falsehood. You are the force which preserves truth. And truth is the only thing preventing America from the complete entropy of fascism.

You have to be prepared to hear yourself called traitor, betrayer, an enemy and would-be assassin of your country. You have to do this regardless that your actions and those of your fellow patriots are the only glue holding together the United States of America.

When it was declared that Bush had won yet another victory after Dan Rather was forced to resign from the spotlight at CBS…it had became as clear as daylight to many that we are living in a new era of McCarthyism. When so many political talk show hosts declared that Rather’s “resignation” was a “victory” for the Bush administration…I, myself, had to raise the question that so many others may have asked…what is the price of justice in our heavily corporate controlled media?

Dr. Fitrakis,

Thank you so much for investigating and writing about vote suppression and fraud.  I keep hearing the Republicans preach the demise of the Democratic party as though it goes without saying that the majority of voters agreed with them on the major issues, when the polls show the reverse is the case.  And while there’s nothing wrong with introspection and regrouping when needed, it’s seems highly premature for the Democrats to begin this process when we don’t even know if we’re actually losing elections! 

By shining a light on Republican dirt and insisting that the government (and the Democratic party for that matter) do their jobs and investigate this, you’re performing a very important public service.  Let’s get a correct vote count – better yet, a revote with paper ballots, nonpartisan election officials, and international observers – and then if Kerry still loses, fine, then we can all roll into a fetal position, suck our thumbs, and wonder where we went wrong.  Until that time, I’m not buying it, and I’m so grateful that you’re not either.

  Big Thanks!

Heather Wilkes
Mesa, AZ

I received an e-mail highlighting your site -- which I have visited before, calling attention to the Ohio article.

My comments:

1)  I am troubled by the way people on the "left" bash each other in public.  The "right wing" in this country has become so strong by making a decision about 30 years ago never to bash each other in public. We could take that page from their play book.

2)  Bashing Kerry for his decision to concede:

a)  John Kerry's brother Cam and Gen. Wesley Clark         have been working tirelessly before, during and         after the election with Common Cause to assure         all votes are counted.  We received a letter directly         from Cam Kerry shortly after the election.

Harvey Wasserman & Bob Fitrakis,

" . . . will the Democrats now stand and fight? . . . "

The Ds didn't fight in 2000.
What reason is there to think they will in 2004?

Gore conceeded.
Never could figure that.
Never could figure why he disappeared after the election.

Kerry did the same (so far).

Almost as if the campaign was pro forma for the Ds.
Anyhow, the Ds and the Rs
serve the same interests and will take us toward the same objectives
even if by slightly different paths -
Enrich the super rich.
Screw every body else.

Yours Cynically,

Roland Dion
San Diego CA

There is an old saying that hypocrisy is the tribute that vice makes to virtue. By that definition, Republican Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota has delivered a magnificent tribute with his demand for full disclosure of details of the so-called U.N. oil-for-food scandal, and the immediate resignation of Secretary General Kofi Annan. You don’t hear Coleman nor any other member of the Greedy Old Party insisting that Vice President Cheney and his friends at Halliburton reveal the full extent of their looting of Iraq at a cost of 100,000 innocent Iraqi lives and billions of American dollars, and that Cheney should immediately resign his office. I cannot recall any member of America’s supermajority party taxing President Bush to reveal all the details of his war-for-oil program, which resulted in the invasion of Iraq and will undoubtedly lead to a preemptive war against Iran; nor has any member of that illustrious tribe called for Bush's impeachment, conviction and removal.