Down the street from me is my town library, which also happens to be my voting place– and from the steps of that I saw the results of the a very important hijacking– my photo of what it looked like is at right. And four years earlier when I voted here, there was another important hijacking, this was of a presidential election. And much to my surprise, 45% of the country agrees with me.
So when I go to vote today, I’ll be reminded of both those events.
And you should be too.
If you think the current administration has done a horrible job of tracking down the people responsible for that day, the guy who released a video last week, or are pulled a bait and switch of targets with Iraq that has cost us billions of dollars and thousands of lives, or if you think that Bush should have at least stopped reading to kids when he heard about the plane crashing into the Twin Towers, or if you think that the current administration has done all it can for its corporate contributors and damn little for anybody else, or if you happen to think the President is a liar and a buffoon, or if you’re terrified about the judges that would get appointed and everything else that would happen in a second Bush term, or if you just don’t want to see what happened to Jesus Castillo happen to anybody else, or– God, this list is far too long.
Remember– you can’t complain about the Supreme Court taking away your vote in the last election if you don’t vote in this one.
So go vote!
And to the folks who stole the last election, I leave you with this quote from Alice Miller, by way of Arthur Silber: “The unconscious compulsion to revenge repressed injuries is more powerful than all reason.”
You repressed a plurality of voters last time. And they are very motivated to vote you out this time.
Glenn,
Just curious. If a similar mess happens as last time, but this time the DEMOCRAT is “appointed”, will you call Kerry an illegitimate president and be as vocieriferous about voting next year? Will you believe the stories of voter intimidation by Democrats even if there’s no evidence to prove that it really happened? ill you believe that the Democrats called up voters and told them that General Norman Schwarzkopf had switched his support lto Kerry when he hasn’t and has asked the Democrats to stop?
I’m just asking because I notice that you’re quick to pounce on a Republican dirty trick or ad you don’t like, but you turn a blind eye to the same dirty tricks the Democrats pull. Of course, you’re supporting a Democrat, so I suppose you think it’s okay when it happens in support of your guy. I’m just guessing, mind you, cause I haven’t seen anything to make me think otherwise.
BTW, after this election is over, I’m going to change my registration from Democrat to Independent. Are you going to hold on to your Republican registration so you can say how fair and non-partisan you are even when it’s rather obvious that you’re not?
EClark,
He’s not the only one who thought the last election was hijacked. And Democrats aren’t doing everything possible to reject legitimately registered voters, Republicans are. The simple truth is the more people who vote, the better for Democrats. The GOP has a vested interest in keeping as few people voting as they can. This year they are being more blatent about it than most years.
Karen:
No, there was an attempted hijacking last time that was thwarted.
I agree with you about the Democrats and Republicans motivations for wanting more or less voters. No shock to you of course, but I agree, mostly, with the Republicans. I have no problem with people who are well informed having the right to vote and I whole heartedly endorse and encourage it. but people who are voting for no other reason than because someone has promised to take something from one class of people and give it to another… how is that fair?
I’ve worked long and hard to make what I make. I’ve sacrificed having a family and children of my own only to be told that I should be taxed more because I DON”T have a family and children to support.
And God, I’d love to have an election where neither party was pandering to its base or fear mongering to the masses. I don’t see it happening any time soon though. And no the Green Party and Libertarians are not the answer.
I have no problem with more voters, but people who vote out of fear make poor choices, and unfortunately Democrats do a better job of fear mongering than Republicans.
I have no problem with more voters, but people who vote out of fear make poor choices, and unfortunately Democrats do a better job of fear mongering than Republicans.
And the Republicans have been accused of fear tactics in the “war on terror”. I still don’t understand why people are so against taxes. They keep things going that we would rather let the government take care of. Like roads, police, fire department, etc. But all I hear is: It’s MY money. I worked hard for it.” Well, growing up in my home we had to contribute to the household to keep it running smoothly or we would not get allowance. We contribute to society with our taxes to keep it running smoothly or we don’t get vital services. It’s called society because everyon should contribute and those with more contribute more, just as the older kids did more than the younger ones. Why, becasue they WERE ABLE.
The mind boggles at the comparison of a court decision you didn’t like in a close election to the mass murder of 3,000 Americans. Speaking as a lifelong Democrat who has worked for John Kerry’s campaign and voted for him this morning, go f*** yourself, Glenn.
I think you are over reacting a bit, Chris. I did not read any disrespect toward 9/11 in Glenn’s post. Look at the picture. That says it all. We can both mourn the victims of the worst terrorist attack on American soil, and mourn the loss of peopls voting rights in 2000. Many died to get the right to vote, especially African Americans (who were the victims of terrorists called the KKK)and who were the majority of those disenfranchised in 2000. Having our rights to vote in jeopardy because some politicians don’t like the way you may vote IS a tradgedy and could affect our country in ways unforeseen. Yess 3000 died on 9/11. And how many have died or been injured in the Iraq war (on both sides), which was a direct result of the Supreme Courts decision. In both cases, one could argue for tradgedy.
I still don’t understand why people are so against taxes. They keep things going that we would rather let the government take care of. Like roads, police, fire department, etc. But all I hear is: It’s MY money. I worked hard for it.” Well, growing up in my home we had to contribute to the household to keep it running smoothly or we would not get allowance. We contribute to society with our taxes to keep it running smoothly or we don’t get vital services. It’s called society because everyon should contribute and those with more contribute more, just as the older kids did more than the younger ones. Why, becasue they WERE ABLE.
I’ll answer you with a quote from Alexander Tyler:
��A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public coffers. From that moment on, the majority always votes for political candidates promising the most money from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, followed shortly by a dictatorship.�
-Alexander Tyler
Are you trying to say that W wants to be our dictator?
Nope, the democrats.BTW, read your post on PAD’s blog and all I can say in response is “It’s a start!”
I hope you’ll take that in the joking spirit it was intended, but frankly, I’m so used to being characterized as being “evil” by people who are anti-Bush and anti-conservative, that I almost no longer care. That scares me a little because once Americans lose the ability to compromise, and talk out our differences, then the terrorists really will have won.
“That scares me a little because once Americans lose the ability to compromise, and talk out our differences, then the terrorists really will have won.”
eclark. Does that include Bush’s “You’re either with us or against us” kneejerk view of foreign policy?
David,
He has that black and white view about everything and everyone. Remember, if you criticize, you aren’t patriotic.
EClark,
Which post? I’ve had a few today.
I’m still in mourning.
David:
Depends. Does “You either want to kill us or you don’t, let’s compromise and you can just critically wound me” work for you?
Karen:
I forget. Go cry your little heart out. I’m busy celebrating anyway.
Man, you freaking liberal crybabies out there are throwing a tantrum! Sure every vote counts but when it goes against you then you call the voters stupid!
Most of you even admit that you weren’t voting FOR your Kerry as much as you were voting AGAINST Bush, now you’re whining because you couldn’t convince as many people to hate Bush as much as you do.
You criticized Bush for not being open minded and not being able to change direction when presented with new information. Well Tuesday you were presented with new information. The country said it didn’t like the direction that YOU wanted to take us in and voted to stay the course. So now, will YOU be open minded and open to the possibility that much of the agenda you push is not what the people want? Open to the possibility that you’re quite possibly WRONG?
Oh, I see, on your say so I have to abandon my political philosophies because Bush won? Now we are whiners, but I guess conservatives were the picture of sane gentility when Clinton was in office. And now, because of you I have left off “crying my little heart out” and am getting angry. Thanks for the insults. Kick us when we’re down. You won, so where is this anger coming from. Is this the way to bring the country together? You know I thought I was having a dialogue with you. I see your true colors now and they aren’t pretty. and the election was only 3 percentage points, so almost half the voters still believe in our “agenda”. This was hardly a landslide. So go take you nasty little diatribe and celebrate with all the others who feel it’s fine to rub our faces int he fact that we lost an election. We’ll be back and with your attitude, we’ll be stronger than ever. Keep giving us cause for anger. I don’t think those who voted for Bush are stupid, just misinformed, but you’ve taken the comments of some people who were hit hard by the results and used it to further the division. Thanks. I think this will be my last post to you. Sounds like you are the crybaby. Can’t take a little criticism, so we have to agree with you or be called names. You, the person who won’t post on PAD’s blog because he “hurt your little feelings” I guess it’s OK to be sesative when it’s you, but feel free to throw out any garbage against the “liberal whiners.”
sesative
should be sensative
1. NEVER said that PAD hurt my feelings. In fact, I said that I don’t take anything he says personally.
2. NEVER said that you had to abandon your political philopsophies. All I asked was whether you were opened minded enough to even QUESTION that you might be on the wrong side of the debate. I guess not.
3. I NEVER insulted you. YOU were the one who said you were in mourning.
4. If you don’t want to post to me anymore that’s your call. But it’s interesting that you bow out now after making a bunch of false charges against me instead of backing them up if they’re true.
5. Its “sensitive”. But I understand that I’ve upset you.