We Will Not Be Moved

Democrats are being exhorted to "move to the right" if they want to win elections in the future.

Which of our principles do all these political pundits want us to give up?
A woman's right over her own reproductive rights
Affordable health care
A realistic minimum wage that allows people to support themselves
A balanced budget
An environment that would allow us and our planet to survive

We have been told that Democrats have to embrace "moral issues". Is it no longer moral to provide health care for someone who is sick? Isn't it moral to pay people a living wage for their labor? When did wanting to promote peace stop being moral?

We are told that the Religious Right were able to swing the election on moral values.

Fact: Of almost 120 million voters only 20% cited moral values as their most important consideration in deciding their choice of candidates. When asked what influenced their decision without a multiple choice of issues being offered only 13% of voters claimed it was moral values.

While these reformers want to turn the party into Republican Lite they are overlooking an important aspect of the 2000, 2002 and 2004 elections...a slew of irregularities in our voting and tabulation process. These irregularities must be fully investigated, exposed and corrected. Our right to vote and to have that vote counted is the very cornerstone of democracy.

Let's face the cold, hard facts. No matter what direction we move toward, no matter, what candidates are nominated, no matter how many voters we turn out, while we use Republican owned, paperless, unauditable, electronic voting machines, Republicans are going to win. That's the bottom line.

If Democratic leaders want to fix something, fix our voting process. Demand verifiable, transparent elections where every single vote is counted and demand it now. A fair and honest election is a "moral issue".

To try to find a reason for Democratic losses in the last three elections when there is evidence that elections have been rigged, whether by purged "felon" lists, an inadequate number of voting machines in Democratic districts requiring ten hour waits, or electronic machines that fail to register the correct vote, is like trying to knock out an opponent when you're shadow boxing.

Stop trying to find fault with our values. There is nothing wrong with what Democrats stand for that a fair and honest election process won't correct. The Party ain't broke so quit trying to fix it!

The next time you hear someone telling you that Democrats have to move to the right, sing them a chorus of the 60's civil rights song, "We will, we will, we will not be moved."

12-10-04