Hope

It is hard to believe it is election eve. I know that many people have already voted, and although I think that any way to get more people to vote is a good thing, the traditionalist in me likes trouping off to the polls on election day. One of the most surprising and horrible thing about the 2000 election, aside of course having the doltish dauphin thrust upon us by his daddies cronies, was that during the Florida debacle, so called voting experts said, each election millions of ballots are never counted. Huh? In other words, your vote may or may not count. Who knew. It is really appalling that in this day and age that the integrity of voting is not guaranteed. I thought voting was the bedrock of democracy, but apparently not. What is astounding is that so little has been done since 2000 to make voting easier, safer and more democratic. The fact that state governments indicate think it is OK that people may have to stand in line for hours to cast their votes, is shameful. But then I guess in many areas (rich, white areas) do not, so I guess that is supposed to make it OK. Well it's not. Keep the faith, keep your fingers crossed, knock on wood, and don't agonize - organize. Let us hope for a better tomorrow.

Those fiends

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/17/AR2008101703360.html?hpid=topnews

In Gail Collins' Saturday column she writes about how terrified Democrats are about the election. It is no wonder, we actually do have memories. Remember Florida 2000? Remember Ohio 2004? And guess what, to no ones surprise the Republicans are at it again. After reading Collins' column I turned to the Wapo, and what do I read, but a fairly lengthy article about voter suppression and the inappropriate elimination of voters from the voting rolls. Along with the Republican effort to once again, to use their still politicized Justice Department to target Acorn and other voter registration groups. My son reminded me the other day of my first time voting. I went merrily to the polling place and presented my ID. The man at one of the tables told me I couldn't vote. I asked him why, and he said that I was improperly registered. I didn't know what to do and slunk out of the polling place and went home. My mother, a fierce life long Democrat (for example, when she died, we said in lieu of flowers please contribute to the DNC) called Democratic headquarters. They told me to come on over. They had vans full of people denied the right to vote going to court. I went, and the judge gave a court order allowing me to vote. I went back and voted. Not everyone has a fierce mother and not everyone has the luxury of being able to take the time to go to court. When my son was canvassing in Ohio, he told Obama supporters that if they were given grief, call Democratic headquarters. Voting shouldn't be hard, it shouldn't be humiliating, it shouldn't be something that anyone should be anxious about. So when Gail Collins' writes as though we Dems. are faint of heart, we have good reason. The Repugs stop at nothing.