How Do We Exact Justice for 12-12-00?

[BurtWorm]

This question is inspired by Jan Michael's thread questioning the trustworthiness of "liberals" who argue we need to "get over it."

It's not simply a matter of kicking the Bush boy's ass in 2004, though that would be sweet. I am not over 2000 because of the threat the fact of it poses to American democracy and the constitutional republic. The fact that it happened exposed a number of weaknesses in the system that cry out for reform:

* voting rights for all Americans of age, certainly for felons who have paid their debt to society--no more voter purges!

* a legal affirmation of manual counting, and a procedure in place to ensure that all legally cast ballots are counted as fully and accurately as humanly possible--with paper trails, if electronic voting is to become standard.

* a legal affirmation of accuracy in vote counting over speed.

* a system for casting military and absentee ballots that wards against interference by the parties.

* implementation of instant run-off voting, to give people a chance to express their first, second and third choices for any office.

* abolishment of the electoral college, which has clearly outlasted its constitutional purpose.



These are just a few of the reforms that come to mind, and I'm sure DUers can think of many others with little effort. The point is, the last presidential election demonstrated clearly that the democracy is broken and needs a fix. I'm certain that the cursory attention these issues received in Congress did not do this crisis the justice it deserves.

I think this is a huge question, and voting reforms address only a part of it. In order to get those reforms, some other political obstacles need to be removed. It's not simply a matter of ousting the Republicans in Congress--though that would be nice, too. It's a matter of making Americans aware of what the nature of the crisis is and inspiring or empowering them to take action to deal with it. We are in a place that is eerily similar to late-republic Rome. The autocrats--incompetent boobs though they've shown themselves to be--seem poised to take full control of the American empire. That is what 12-12-03 was ultimately all about. That is why "getting over it" is the last thing we need to do.

[Fixated]

1. ....

Next election, ask people outside if they're voting for Bush. If they say yes, punch them in the face and ask them again. Continue until they say no or die.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. DOH CLEAN elections

and bar the revolving door between industry insiders, national regulatory agencies such as the FDA where they administratively de-regulate and back to the industries they benefit.

[proud patriot]

3. For me ..it's about Aknowledgement

Yes ..Fix the problems in the voting system ..

but more than that just an aknowledgement of it being
a coup/wrongfully stolen election would make me happy .

The ensurance that history remembers the 2000 election as STOLEN.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

4. We Don't

We Don't Exact Justice. Justice will only come with the judgement of history.