BBV: By Their Fruit You Shall Know Them...

[althecat]

Ok... so its Sunday. And I am a tad religious (and a Catholic) and there have been a few troubles of late around here. So (** throwing caution to the wind ***) here is a BBV post with a vaguely religious theme. WARNING - RELIGIOUS CONTENT MAY OFFEND.

Today's Gospel in the Catholic world (Mark 9: 38-48) features John telling Jesus that a freelance soul saver has been casting out demons in Jesus's name. John tells Jesus he tried to get the freelancer to stop, since he wasn't actually a follower. Jesus replies with those famous words (words that * appears to have somehow mistranslated over the two millennia since); "Whoever is not against us is for us."

Meanwhile today's old testament lesson is from a similar vein. It features a couple of Israelites on the run, Medad and Eldad, suddenly becoming prophets. Joshua is a bit taken aback at this as Medad and Eldad are not part of Moses official posse, Moses chides him for his jealousy and says something to the effect of, "if only everybody could be a prophet wouldn't that be grand".

Our Priest's homily on this theme focussed on the question of "who is the messenger", and pointed out that we are taught that it is not for us humans to decide the answer to this question. He concluded with some more words from the Gospel where Jesus answered a question about how people should know who they ought to follow. "By their fruits", he replied.

Which brings me to the two latest pieces of fruit from the BBV tree. A tree which is bringing forth ever more fruit on a daily basis.

(first from the AJC)
OK for voting machines relieves state officials

and
(from the washpost)
Ehrlich Seeks Probe Over Ballot Machines

And the point of all this is what?

The point is this.

However dark and desperate the days may seem with Diebold C&Ds flying, email threats, stubborn and stupid SoS's and election commissions who - in the face of all logic - continue to buy dodgy machines (not to mention fallings outs between close friends), we should all remember that prior you all getting together and working on this issue collectively, the AJC, the NYT and the Washington Post (not to mention all the other publications you can see Here) had refused for years to even publish letters to the editor on this issue!

That is, till the crew here at DU got to work, black box voting was like a bulldozer ploughing through the United States democratic system. To all observers, internal and external, it had seemed unstoppable. The fact that they left their flanks so exposed is evidence of how unstoppable they considered their progress.

But, thanks to the wonderful people assembled here at DU, the term BBV is now an established part of the U.S. Political lexicon, and it will be remain so across the mountains, plains, forests, lakes, cities, towns and hamlets of your great nation for many a year to come.

That is the legacy of the work that you collectively have already done.

Ok, yes it is true that you are not yet getting your way at significant decision making points. And yes your opponents still hold most of the cards. But at least you are now at the table. In the past you were still at the back of the queue, round the corner a block back, and stood not a chance of getting past the bouncer and into the room where the card game was being played.

This is the fruit of your work so far. And it is magnificent fruit indeed.

So stand tall and be proud. Everyone of you.

And as long as you can hang in together and get on with the business then there will be a fantastically fruitful harvest ahead.

We just need to remember - all of us - that this is much bigger than any of us individually and even collectively in our various groups. Ultimately the participants in the harvest ahead will come from all walks of life and political persuasions. They will spread far wider than the core that started this at DU. Hell, even the Freepers may eventually realise that in order for their politics to mean anything they need to first ensure that the votes get counted! In other words, as the big guy said above, "whoever is not against us is for us."

So good night all and God Bless. Have a fantastic Sunday, and think nice thoughts about one another.

We have a great deal to be thankful for and a long way to go. And I for one am honoured be be along for the ride.

Al

edited several times to correct errors and polish...

[punpirate]

1. Uh, your parish priest must be...

... quite a talker to inspire you to combine politics, gospel, illegal gambling, fruit, bulldozers, voting law and assorted dodgy machines. *smile*

The point is well-taken, though. The infighting, often prompted from outside, is divisive and doubt-inducing. Every cause has its Judases and its fearful doubters.

Now, here's part of the BBV scripture, translated: "kick their bloody ass with their own words."

Cheers, Al, and thanks.

[althecat]

21. Are you suggesting I may have been mixing a few metaphors there,...

On re-reading I guess so... that there post looks a bit like a metaphor salad...

:)

[MSchreader]

23. Would that be a

Metaphor fruit salad?

:evilgrin:

Martin

[althecat]

24. I am not sure what you are suggesting MSsch.....

But what ever it is my reply will be the same. "I did not have sexual relations with that..."

[MSchreader]

25. I wasn't even going to go there...

But now that you mention it, I was wondering about the Cheshire-like grin.... :hi:

Martin

[Widgetsfriend]

2. I'm glad you can find hope in this right now.

I have spent the last year trying to get someone in Maryland interested in the electronic voting machines. First it was Congressman Elijah Cummings...nothing and I really pestered his aide with articles and emails. Not a word back. Then I sent letters to all my elected officials. I heard back from one, a Republican, Kittleman, who said he had opposed the decision to purchase the machines for all the reasons I had listed but that he had been overruled in the State legislature. But we could all rest easy because everything would be taken care of and we could trust the machines yadda yadda yadda... Then I wrote to reporters at every tv and newspaper. I heard back from Van Smith at the Baltimore City Paper who had been writing articles on the machines and he gave me the name of a reporter at Fox 45 who he said was really good. So I sent that reporter as many articles and links as I could find. He corresponded and said he was interested and would follow the story which was at least a small sign of hope. But when the story finally broke, he had been offered a better job with Sinclair Broadcasting and his focus was changing. Then, before the story broke, I found a list of all reporters at the Sun and randomly sent out more articles and began corresponding with one of them. He has been very interested in everything I send, and of course, I don't have a clue about the inner workings of newspapers, so I don't know what is involved in the editorial process. But I gave him lots of information about SAIC and Diebold and their shady connections and crappy policies and insider emails and how those emails expose all their public lies and they have not done one article from that angle. And even though Ehrlich has called for an investigation, I have absolutely no reason to believe that anything will come of it. I mean, you get the SAIC report that finds massive problems with the Diebold programming and THEY STILL PLAN TO GO AHEAD AND BUY THE MACHINES. I keep asking the reporters to hold Ehrlich's feet to the fire on this crap but nothing seems to really be happening.

Okay, rant over. But I am wondering what to do next. I've thought about getting a bunch of those magnetic signs made and plastering stuff all over my car and driving down to Annapolis and parking in front of the State House and following Ehrlich around while I carry a large sign and generally becoming a bitch and nuisance. Well, truth is I am actually already something of a bitch and probably thought of as a nuisance as well. So it wouldn't require a makeover to accomplish that part.

Help me here. What is next? Should I start screaming that everyone in Maryland should refuse to vote on the machines if they are in place in the next election? Tell everyone to vote absentee?
What should be the direction.

And I want to say that I am OUTRAGED that Diebold has attacked Bev Harris. So emotions have been ratcheted up this week and it's time to get away from the computer and do something. What?

[shirlden]

3. Dear Widgetsfriend

You just gave me hope. There are times I feel like I am in this fight all alone, as I badger officials and reporters on a daily basis. I think I am even getting bedsores on my butt from sitting at the computer.
As Bev has noted....this fight is a slow drip...drip....drip. And each drip will eventually make an ocean. We must always keep in mind we have chosen to fight two awesome powers: the military-industrial complex and the self-inflicted ignorance of the sheeple.
We win when we don't give up.
It is that simple.

Keep on keepin on !!!

:pals:

[gristy]

4. Thank you so much for all you've done so far!

So emotions have been ratcheted up this week and it's time to get away from the computer and do something.

I've been feeling the same way lately. You can only get so much done from in front of one's computer (though nowadays, you can get quite a bit done there). So here's some ideas:

1. Sign up for the "election reform" meetup. It's important that you get a small core of people that you can meet face to face with and strategize and to give and get moral support.

2. Write an op-ed piece for the paper (not a letter to the editor). This takes more time but if published you could get a terrific response. Be sure to get others to review and help you edit this piece. Mention the election reform meetup.

3. Get some Avery Labels #6572 (2" x 2 5/8") and print a short simple message on them. Include the blackboxvoting.org, blackboxvoting.org, and verifiedvoting.org web sites. Stick them on friends shirts, your notebooks, anyplace that's LEGAL. They really do stick to ANYTHING and are difficult to take off.

[Eloriel]

6. Well, there are a lot of things you can do

First, as others have suggested, hook up with others. I've got two suggestions for you on that, one a repeat of what others are also promoting: the Election Reform on MeetUps. The other, PM me and I'll add you to my GA BBV list -- it's primarily for Georgia, it's new, it's not all that active (a lot of Eloriel posting so far), but it's a start. And/or you can start your own list, perhaps. Or you might do some searches on Topica and Yahoo and see if there are any other lists already started.

I think your magnetic signs isn't a bad idea, btw. Nor is protesting, tho that's more effective if you have a few others to join you.

Finally, here's a post I made to my list with some other ideas:

-----------------------------------
Let's brainstorm and discuss --

Here's what I think we need to do. It's just a start, off the top of my head. Please add your own thoughts, critiques, etc.:

GOAL:
Voter-verified paper ballots which CAN legally be used in a recount
(currently, GA law considered the "electronic vote" as the only legal
vote -- so even if we had VVPB, they couldn't be used in recounts), and Open Source Code to run these machines, or else get rid of the machines.

We should also take a look at other laws in the GA Code to see what
else, if anything, needs to be changed (e.g., Certification procedures and requirements).

STRATEGY:
* Generate massive public awareness on this issue

* Help get Rush Holt's bill passed (which provides for VVPB).

* Educate our state legislators, state and local election officials, and other interested parties.

* Find someone willing to file a suit on any number of issues. There
ought to be a bunch of them.

* Put pressure on the SoS, the Elections Division and the State
Legislature to get the machines decertified and a safe, accurate,
auditable AND recountable election system in place.

What else? What instead?

Okay, from there we can figure out some ideas -- please discuss and add your own, or your ideas for implementation, or your agreement to help organize or do:

Public Awareness and Education
- Develop some handouts and perhaps other materials
- Letters to the editor, smaller papers, not just AJC
- Contact the League of Women Voters county chapters and other public
interest organizations
- Find opportunities to give short presentations on the subject to
whoever will let us!!
- Call-ins to talk shows (yeah, I know)

Holt's Bill
- Again, education and awareness (include mention in handouts)
- Start educating and lobbying our Congressional delegation


Educate legislators, election officials, etc.
- Some of the handouts should be helpful
- Attend the Election Division's public meetings -- the others are Oct. 31, Nov. 21 and Dec. 19
- Personal lobbying with our state elected officials


Pressure SoS and Elections Division
- Letters, Phone calls, emails, faxes
- Open Records Act Requests
- Legal challenges, if possible
- Publicity -- see Letters to the editor, talk shows, etc.
- Rallies / Protests

Okay -- let's discuss. Any other ideas? What's wrong with these? Any
other Strategy items? Any other ideas for implementation? Etc.
----------------------------

The most important thing is NOT to give up. DEMActivst taught me that. ;-) Also, as any progress gets made anywhere (there's some movement in AZ), it will help all the other locations where we need to make inroads. So continue keeping all your media contacts updated.

Oh, one final thought. While the conflicts of interest with SAIC, CIA, etc. are perfectly factual (and perfectly alarming), it probably doesn't help to focus on those if they sound like "conspiracy theory" thinking. There's enough other damning information.

We have a similar problem in Georgia where the AJC patently refuses to cover this issue, except in the most superficial of ways. Even Scoop's link to the AJC article demonstrates that. Cathy Cox is "relieved." Well, good. Wouldn't want to trouble her pretty little head about this stuff.

But I think THE most important thing at this point I think is to get others involved, whatever you have to do to accomplish that. There HAVE to be people in Maryland who are as concerned, tho maybe not as knowledgeable as you are.

Hell, do tabling/flyering if you have to.

Eloriel

[DEMActivist]

9. You MUST fight locally

Because the "national" fight isn't working. It's time to go local. Organize, find people who are willing to fight this issue and decide a strategy of attack.

Go to every politician, ask them what their stand is on this issue and then either a) set out to change their mind or b) give them information to back up their stand and explain you will support them.

Keep up the pressure - locally.

Take a look at Friday's Georgia Dog and Pony show. Look at the effect a select few activists have had on them:

1. They won't take our questions, because they don't want the answers on the record.

2. They are so tired of the questions, they've said "talk to your legislator."

3. Answers to past questions are coming back to haunt them, so they eliminate the folks who gave those answers (Williams, Barnes, Sinkule, Tatum).

4. They are scrambling! They change the presentation to eliminate the topic which prompts the questions.

We ARE having an effect - they are running scared from us. Now we just have to finish the job.

No one has to be part of a large (national, international) group to have an effect. You don't need a "leader" - just the desire to be heard.

You only need tenacity. Refuse to give up. Refuse to sit down. Refuse to shut up.

[Generic Other]

13. When you say fight locally, is there some list to help us see

where the fight is most critical?

It seems like some BBVers are being forced to shoulder a larger burden in this fight based on current local situations.

I live in a county that went close to 100% absentee ballots (#2 pencil on paper mailed to the auditor) using optical scanners. The battle to effect this change was tremendous. But it means voting is easy, participation has increased, and there is a valid paper trail.

So, the issue is less critical to me locally. What can I do to help others if their own local officials refuse to respond to their own constituents? Tar and feathering is what they deserve...

Suggestions folks?

[DEMActivist]

14. Tar and feathering is what they deserve...

to be sure.

But, understand something....Georgia officials have tried this for months and months. They've denied Open Records Requests, they've lied, they've answered the same question with multiple, opposing answers, they've tried every trick in the book. And, they're Democratic officials.

You have to be prepared to do what we have done - keep asking. Keep pounding. Keep embarassing them - the more publicly the better. Go to every public meeting, regardless of the topic, and bring up the electronic voting machines. Haunt them with your questions.

Let me give you a classic example of what I mean:

Our activists went to a public meeting and tried to ask voting machine questions. They were shut down to the extent that one person who WAS called on for a question said his question was "I want to hear that lady's question (one of our activists)." The reply was, come to the public meeting on that issue.

Then they went to the public meeting on electronic voting machines, and were told "we won't be taking questions about the controversy." But the activists asked them anyway. So they said "let's hold all the questions until the end of the presentation" at which time they simply ignored the questions they didn't like. No answer, no recognition, just moved to the next question as a reply.

But the activists didn't quit. They sat apart so they weren't recognized as "the group to ignore." They got called on and they asked the questions. The non-replies spoke volumes. The replies screamed arrogance.

The activists refused to sit down. The activists refused to shut up.

The activists were told to contact their legislators. They will, again.

[TorchTheWitch]

15. what about the foreign press?

I may be wrong, but it looks like going the national route is hitting a wall because our major news sources are owned by Repugs who have every reason to kill it. Isn't going local a way to get something to go national? And if we're already hitting a wall nationally, is going local really going to go anywhere? The general public gets it's news from the major Repug run outlets... and the only time I've ever seen the major outlets pick up on a news item that's very critical of BushCo is when the foreign press has been pitching it loud.

The foreign press probably doesn't give much of a hoot whether or not our voting system is fair... they already believe our democracy is a probably a farce anyway, and they can brush it off as not affecting them directly. But have they ever had anything this big that really points to their being right about that and not just skeptical? And doesn't it effect them directly when we're bombing foreign nations under the guise of bringing them "freedom" when our own freedom is so compromised?

There's an Iraq war connection here that seems to be overlooked. Our government has been patting itself on the back for bringing democracy and "freedom" to the Iraqi people. Foreign countries have been skeptical of our true interests in Iraq but have yet to have anything solid to point to that our peculiar brand of democracy is in fact a whopping farce, and we went into Iraq spouting lies about "Iraqi Freedom" when we're busy trying to set up an actual puppet government with compromised/bogus elections. Doesn't this give foreign countries something to point to about our governments reasons for trying to keep the UN either out completely or in a very limited role other then simply "American agrrogance"? It sure would be a whole lot easier to rig Iraqi votes if the UN had little or no control there.

Can our mainstream press (or our government for that matter) really ignor the black box voting issue tied with our intentions in Iraq if it was all over the foreign press?

[leftchick]

5. Thanks Al! I also found today's second reading inspiring...

for obvious reasons......

James 5


Warning to Rich Oppressors

1Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. 2Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.<1> 6You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.

:)

[gristy]

7. Wow.

How timely. I don't read the bible. Thanks for posting a relevent portion.

[althecat]

19. Yip... James definitely seems to be addressing some people we all know...

:)

[leftchick]

8. Sunday afternoon kick...

for Al :)

[seemslikeadream]

10. Tutira Mai Nga Iwi

Perhaps a Maori song for our Irish Catholic friend living in New Zealand could be sung in this church today.

Tutira mai nga iwi --------- Line up together, people
Tatou tatou e -------------- All of us, all of us.
Tutira mai nga iwi --------- Stand in rows, people
Tatou tatou e -------------- All of us, all of us.
Whai-a te marama-tanga --- Seek after knowledge
me te aroha - e nga iwi! ---- and love of others - everybody!
Ki-a tapa-tahi, ------------- Think as one,
Ki-a ko-tahi ra. ------------- Act as one.
Tatou tatou e. ------------- All of us, all of us.

Hi aue hei !!! ----------- Hi aue hei !!!

Thanks al for bringing to me, New Zealand. What a history it has! What a beautiful language!

[Kelvin Mace]

11. And this story just in:

Voting machines taking heat
Herald Tribune

After the 2000 election turned Florida's punch-card ballots into a national punch- line, state officials spent millions of dollars on high-tech electronic voting machines.

But a growing number of critics have local officials around the country wondering whether electronic voting machines -- like the ones used in Charlotte, Sarasota and Manatee counties -- were impulse purchases they will come to regret.

*snip*

Broward County Commissioner John Rodstrom said that when his wife went to the polls in 2002, she pressed the screen to vote for one candidate, and the machine showed she was voting for another. That was a common problem in Broward.

In Dade, computer tallies did not count votes from several precincts. A backup check of the computerized system revealed the mistakes.

"We're learning there are some glitches with the system. Add that to the fact that someone could hack into it, and that's a problem," Rodstrom said. "Politicians are hearing these horror stories and saying, 'Gee, we need to rethink this.' "

*snip*

Bev Harris, a Seattle-based investigative writer known as the Erin Brockovich of electronic voting, says no.

She points out that she accidentally found key information about Diebold's voter system by surfing the Internet. That information, including source codes and passwords, later was used by computer scientists at Johns Hopkins and Rice universities to expose how easily elections could be rigged under the electronic systems.



David Allen
Plan Nine Publishing
http://www.plan9.org

[Gordon25]

12. Great post, Al...

...Much food for thought and fuel for action.

I agree. I was in Vietnam in the Marines in '65-'66. Every platoon had a couple guys who rubbed each other the wrong way, who disagreed about everything from why we were there to how to conduct a patrol to how to cook wwII surplus c-rations to make them edible.

In some of the platoons, guys divided up and took sides. Pretty soon guys weren't sure in certain situations that their backs would be covered. Distrust ensued. Morale went down. Effectiveness went down. Casualties went up.

In some platoons the platoon sergeant, squad leaders, or platoon leader were bright enough to make sure that the unit didn't start dividing up in sides but understood that everyone was entitled to their own opinion and the right to express it, but not to attack those who held other opinions.

Gunnery Sergeant Blood (yeah, that was his name) said it best, I think: "There's a hundred thousand Viet Cong out there want to make dog meat out of you. Quit doing their f______ work for them."

We can be and should be free to disagree with one another about most anything. But let's reserve our attacks for those trying to make dog meat out of our Democracy.

Gordon25

[althecat]

20. Great story Gordon....

And thanks...

[ParanoidPat]

16. Amen Al!

Amen! O8)(And I'm an atheist! :evilgrin:)

The genie's slipped the bottle,
the horse has left the barn,
their lies have been made public,
and the truth will go marching on!

:kick:

Have a great Sunday and rest up for tomorrow we must continue the fight! :)

[Robbien]

17. Amen Al. Just signed on for a meetup. . .eom

[Generic Other]

18. A plug for Symbolman's flash!

http://www.takebackthemedia.com/voterevolution.html

[4dog]

22. kick for inspiring words and good ideas from all over (eom)