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Over 50 million Americans saw Fahrenheit 9/11.
You were probably one of them.
Do you remember one of the opening scenes that shows the joint meeting of congress held in January 2001 to ratify the electoral college vote? Ten African American members of the U.S. House of Representatives stood to contest the election of 2000. There was evidence of official misconduct in the election and deliberate fraud they said. One indicated that over 16,000 of her constituents in Florida had been disenfranchised.
One-by-one the members of the House stood to contest the election. Each stood alone.
For a federal election to be contested, one member of the House and one member of the Senate must sign a document. Not a single Senator would sign to contest the election. Not a single Senator would stand with the members of the House. Nine months after the election we learned that they were right to contest the election: A full count of undervotes and overvotes in Florida revealed that Al Gore had received more votes in Florida than George Bush.
I was shocked when I saw this scene in Fahrenheit 9/11 and deeply ashamed. If we had known, if we had acted, if a Senator had stood to contest that election -- imagine how very, very different our world would be today.
In the election of 2004 there is far, far more evidence of official misconduct and deliberate fraud. Tens of thousands of constituents (most people of color) have again been disenfranchised. We can be nearly certain that members of the House will stand again on January 6, 2005 at the joint meeting of congress held to ratify the electoral college vote.
I have called for my Senators to stand and to contest this election. I will take action to encourage all members of the Senate and House to have the courage to stand and contest this election. Congress' silence will not protect us.
We must not allow courageous members of the House to stand alone.
The possibility of a Constitutional crisis elicits fear. Is this possibility any more fear-provoking than living in a 'democracy' in which the power-elite continually abuse citizens?
If our votes do not count - then the Constitution is just an interesting old piece of paper.
Right now is time to stop being hit. Not over the next couple of years - now. Each time an abuser gets away with such behavior they only grow stronger. Abuses of power in this administration have been many and they will increase exponentially during the Bush's second term. We who spend our time typing messages on internet discussion boards are not the people who have been and will be hurt most. We have a responsibility to act on behalf of those Americans and citizens of the world who cannot act.
It may help to keep in mind that it will get ugly - very ugly - and that, sometimes, an abuser can be stopped more easily than a victim suspects they can. We must find the courage to confront them.
We must proceed calmly, with resolve, leading with our hearts and minds. We must appeal to that part of every American that values justice, freedom, and democracy. We must act, always, with the good of the people as our goal. We must embody peace and power. Truth is power. We have power. I pray that we will use it.
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