James a NC Veteran Blog

Be a poll watcher

James a Vietnam Vet from NC — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:06:47 EDT

Don’ let this be your nightmare the day after the election:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzuIHjQYW2c

Be a poll worker and save American democracy
2008 Elections | Election Integrity
by Harvey Wasserman | September 27, 2008 - 1:04pm

We are constantly being asked: "What can we do to stop the 2008
election from being stolen?"

Because we broke many of the major stories surrounding the theft of
the 2004 election in Ohio (and because after four years it is
abundantly clear that election most definitely was stolen) the flow
of inquiries is heartfelt and non-stop. We cannot afford to have this
happen again on November 4.

There is a simple answer for what you can do: be a poll worker.

There are additional options: be a poll judge, a poll observer, a
member of a video the vote team, a voter registration researcher and
assistant, an organizer for a post-election public hearing, and more.

This weekend (September 26-8) we are co-convening a national
conference in Columbus to review these options. The core of the
information will be available in print and video via
www.freepress.org. Over the next few days we will follow this article
with more detailed descriptions of what every citizen can do on
November 4 to restore the democratic process to this nation. We are
also coordinating with Poll Workers for Democracy whose web site
contains much valuable information

(http://act.credoaction.com/pollworkers/index.html).

Lets start with the poll working:

It is our goal to have at least one non-partisan poll worker who is
committed to protecting the vote in every precinct in America. In
many states this is a paying position ($120 for the day in Ohio). It
is a very long day. It may also require advance training from the
board of elections, but in Ohio such sessions are also paid.

Throughout the US boards of elections are desperate for poll workers.
The average age has been creeping up over the past decades, and in
many instances there are critical shortages. You should not have
trouble finding a position.

We have significant testimony from poll workers who saved literally
hundreds of votes in 2004 in such simple ways as splitting long lines
that were misdirected to wrong precinct stations, or making sure the
doors stayed open, as legally required, for those who were still
waiting to cast a ballot at closing time.

There is much more,
including the simple act of making sure voters who want them get
paper ballots.

Overall, the power of even a single poll worker inside a polling
station who is committed to democracy can be immense. Above all, do
not throw up your hands and say "there's nothing I can do" when these
positions are crying out to be filled.

Poll judgeships can be harder to obtain. But poll judges can have
significant impact on guaranteeing a fair vote count. This position
could be essential in gaining whatever monitoring powers there may be
over electronic voting machines whose source code and vote count will
be hidden from the pubic.

In Ohio, election protection attorneys (including co-author Fitrakis)
have won observer status for representatives of the Green,
Libertarian and Nader campaigns. This means independent observers can
join Democrats and Republicans in closely monitoring the vote from
inside the polls.

We also urge citizens to join the Video the Vote teams that will be
going to thousands of polling stations. We hope to see at least one
video crew present at every precinct in the country.

The bare but vital footage that was shot at besieged inner city
precincts in central Ohio 2004 has stood as a vital beacon to show
the tip of how thousands of voters were deliberately disenfranchised.
This time, we need saturation coverage to protect against and
document every possible violation of our rights as citizens.

Meanwhile, millions of Americans who think they are registered to
vote may not be. This is due to a concerted campaign to cage and
purge voter rolls. A wide range of technicalities are being used to
eliminate countless citizens from the lists of those who are entitled
to a ballot but who will be denied one unless steps are taken.

In the lead-up to November 4, be sure to check your own voting
status. And volunteer to work with those who may believe their voting
status is secure, but who in fact have been targeted for
disenfranchisement.

Remember that the US Supreme Court has approved an Indiana law
requiring photo ID to vote. This backdoor poll tax will be used to
eliminate millions of voters this year unless a concerted effort is
made to organize these citizens and get them the necessary papers. It
can---must---be done.

But it will take people like you to do it.

Democracy is coming to the USA

James a Vietnam Vet from NC — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:43:13 EDT

A fitting song by Leonard Cohen

"Democracy"

It's coming through a hole in the air,
from those nights in Tiananmen Square.
It's coming from the feel
that this ain't exactly real,
or it's real, but it ain't exactly there.
From the wars against disorder,
from the sirens night and day,
from the fires of the homeless,
from the ashes of the gay:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
It's coming through a crack in the wall;
on a visionary flood of alcohol;
from the staggering account
of the Sermon on the Mount
which I don't pretend to understand at all.
It's coming from the silence
on the dock of the bay,
from the brave, the bold, the battered
heart of Chevrolet:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.

It's coming from the sorrow in the street,
the holy places where the races meet;
from the homicidal bitchin'
that goes down in every kitchen
to determine who will serve and who will eat.
From the wells of disappointment
where the women kneel to pray
for the grace of God in the desert here
and the desert far away:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.

Sail on, sail on
O mighty Ship of State!
To the Shores of Need
Past the Reefs of Greed
Through the Squalls of Hate
Sail on, sail on, sail on, sail on.

It's coming to America first,
the cradle of the best and of the worst.
It's here they got the range
and the machinery for change
and it's here they got the spiritual thirst.
It's here the family's broken
and it's here the lonely say
that the heart has got to open
in a fundamental way:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.

It's coming from the women and the men.
O baby, we'll be making love again.
We'll be going down so deep
the river's going to weep,
and the mountain's going to shout Amen!
It's coming like the tidal flood
beneath the lunar sway,
imperial, mysterious,
in amorous array:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.

Sail on, sail on ...

I'm sentimental, if you know what I mean
I love the country but I can't stand the scene.
And I'm neither left or right
I'm just staying home tonight,
getting lost in that hopeless little screen.
But I'm stubborn as those garbage bags
that Time cannot decay,
I'm junk but I'm still holding up
this little wild bouquet:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5g8CA5ltR8

Any small donation to my new FR page will be appreciated by a supporter-volunteer of the Obama campaign.

My link: http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/JamesNCVet

McCain refused to answer AARP questions

James a Vietnam Vet from NC — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:44:04 EDT

For all of you 'youngsters' out there...you might be interested to know that AARP magazine Sept/Oct issue published the results of a questionnaire that they sent to each presumptive presidential candidate...on issues that AARP membership might want to know the candidates positions on...As you would expect, Barack gave thoughtful answers and marked the circles to indicate positions on issues. McCain declined to mark any circles.

Therefore, I wrote the Editor and said the following:

Thank you for publishing the candidates' responses to your questionnaire. It
should surprise no one that John McCain declined to respond. I hope that gives
the readership an idea of his 'Straight Talk' and his courage to put his
opinions on the line for people to examine. He is a Senator from MY state and I
can say that his refusal to complete this questionnaire is characteristic of how
he represents his constituents in Arizona. He has the worst voting attendance
record of any Senator. He just doesn't show up most of the time.

The young voters need to get serious about their future

James a Vietnam Vet from NC — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:28:59 EDT

Article on young voters in the News&Observer:

A new report says that one-fourth of North Carolina's young people, ages 18 to
25, are not registered to vote, despite record registrations.
The Young Voters Index found that 200,000 young citizens still haven't
registered, even though about 90,000 new registrations were recorded since
January. In all, 23 percent of young adults have not registered, compared to
less than 20 percent of adults over the age of 25.

"Young people are participating more than they did four years ago, but they
still have tremendous potential to do so much more," said Bob Hall, executive
director of Democracy North Carolina.

In May, 134,000 young people cast ballots during the primaries, quadruple the
number of young people who voted during the 2004 primaries. But the rate of
participation was the lowest of any age group. Only 21 percent of registered
youth voted in May, compared to 37 percent of all registered voters.

Hall suggested that high schools and colleges make a special effort to educate
people about their voting rights. For example, 17-year-olds can register now if
their 18th birthday falls before Nov. 4.

Duke, East Carolina, N.C. Central, N.C. State and UNC Chapel Hill are among the
universities that are early voting sites where students can register and vote on
the same day.

http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/1187093.html

The military draft and more wars destroying the economy and insuring attacks on the U.S. are the option unless they pay attention. Stop and get into this election and give up some fun time for the next 2 months. The price the youth will pay if we fail will be horrendous. No more democracy, continued war, less education, a controlled press, a restricted internet, massive poverty, longer working hours, and expensive health coverage.

I've had most of my time with some good opportunities, what will you have?

The Real story of POW John McCAIN

James a Vietnam Vet from NC — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:57:25 EDT

Military.comWhy I Will Not Vote for John McCainPhillip Butler | March 27, 2008 http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,164859_1,00.htmlAs some of you might know, John McCain is a long-time acquaintance of mine that goes way back to our time together at the U.S. Naval Academy and as Prisoners of War in Vietnam. He is a man I respect and admire in some ways. But there are a number of reasons why I will not vote for him for President of the United States.When I was a Plebe (4th classman, or freshman) at the Naval Academy in 1957-58, I was assigned to the 17th Company for my four years there. In those days we had about 3,600 midshipmen spread among 24 companies, thus about 150 midshipmen to a company. As fortune would have it, John, a First Classman (senior) and his room mate lived directly across the hall from me and my two room mates. Believe me when I say that back then I would never in a million or more years have dreamed that the crazy guy across the hall would someday be a Senator and candidate for President!John was a wild man. He was funny, with a quick wit and he was intelligent. But he was intent on breaking every USNA regulation in our 4 inch thick USNA Regulations book. And I believe he must have come as close to his goal as any midshipman who ever attended the Academy. John had me "coming around" to his room frequently during my plebe year. And on one occasion he took me with him to escape "over the wall" in the dead of night. He had a taxi cab waiting for us that took us to a bar some 7 miles away. John had a few beers, but forbid me to drink (watching out for me I guess) and made me drink cokes. I could tell many other midshipman stories about John that year and he unbelievably managed to graduate though he spent the majority of his first class year on restriction for the stuff he did get caught doing. In fact he barely managed to graduate, standing 5th from the bottom of his 800 man graduating class. I and many others have speculated that the main reason he did graduate was because his father was an Admiral, and also his grandfather, both U.S. Naval Academy graduates. People often ask if I was a Prisoner of War with John McCain. My answer is always "No - John McCain was a POW with me." The reason is I was there for 8 years and John got there 2 ½ years later, so he was a POW for 5 ½ years. And we have our own seniority system, based on time as a POW. John's treatment as a POW: 1) Was he tortured for 5 years? No. He was subjected to torture and maltreatment during his first 2 years, from September of 1967 to September of 1969. After September of 1969 the Vietnamese stopped the torture and gave us increased food and rudimentary health care. Several hundred of us were captured much earlier. I got there April 20, 1965 so my bad treatment period lasted 4 1/2 years. President Ho Chi Minh died on September 9, 1969, and the new regime that replaced him and his policies was more pragmatic. They realized we were worth a lot as bargaining chips if we were alive. And they were right because eventually Americans gave up on the war and agreed to trade our POW's for their country. A damn good trade in my opinion! But my point here is that John allows the media to make him out to be THE hero POW, which he knows is absolutely not true, to further his political goals. 2) John was badly injured when he was shot down. Both arms were broken and he had other wounds from his ejection. Unfortunately this was often the case - new POW's arriving with broken bones and serious combat injuries. Many died from their wounds. Medical care was non-existent to rudimentary. Relief from pain was almost never given and often the wounds were used as an available way to torture the POW. Because John's father was the Naval Commander in the Pacific theater, he was exploited with TV interviews while wounded. These film clips have now been widely seen. But it must be known that many POW's suffered similarly, not just John. And many were similarly exploited for political propaganda. 3) John was offered, and refused, "early release." Many of us were given this offer. It meant speaking out against your country and lying about your treatment to the press. You had to "admit" that the U.S. was criminal and that our treatment was "lenient and humane." So I, like numerous others, refused the offer. This was obviously something none of us could accept. Besides, we were bound by our service regulations, Geneva Conventions and loyalties to refuse early release until all the POW's were released, with the sick and wounded going first. 4) John was awarded a Silver Star and Purple Heart for heroism and wounds in combat. This heroism has been played up in the press and in his various political campaigns. But it should be known that there were approximately 600 military POW's in Vietnam. Among all of us, decorations awarded have recently been totaled to the following: Medals of Honor - 8, Service Crosses - 42, Silver Stars - 590, Bronze Stars - 958 and Purple Hearts - 1,249. John certainly performed courageously and well. But it must be remembered that he was one hero among many - not uniquely so as his campaigns would have people believe. John McCain served his time as a POW with great courage, loyalty and tenacity. More that 600 of us did the same. After our repatriation a census showed that 95% of us had been tortured at least once. The Vietnamese were quite democratic about it. There were many heroes in North Vietnam. I saw heroism every day there. And we motivated each other to endure and succeed far beyond what any of us thought we had in ourselves. Succeeding as a POW is a group sport, not an individual one. We all supported and encouraged each other to survive and succeed. John knows that. He was not an individual POW hero. He was a POW who surmounted the odds with the help of many comrades, as all of us did. I furthermore believe that having been a POW is no special qualification for being President of the United States. The two jobs are not the same, and POW experience is not, in my opinion, something I would look for in a presidential candidate. Most of us who survived that experience are now in our late 60's and 70's. Sadly, we have died and are dying off at a greater rate than our non-POW contemporaries. We experienced injuries and malnutrition that are coming home to roost. So I believe John's age (73) and survival expectation are not good for being elected to serve as our President for 4 or more years. I can verify that John has an infamous reputation for being a hot head. He has a quick and explosive temper that many have experienced first hand. Folks, quite honestly that is not the finger I want next to that red button. It is also disappointing to see him take on and support Bush's war in Iraq, even stating we might be there for another 100 years. For me John represents the entrenched and bankrupt policies of Washington-as-usual. The past 7 years have proven to be disastrous for our country. And I believe John's views on war, foreign policy, economics, environment, health care, education, national infrastructure and other important areas are much the same as those of the Bush administration. I'm disappointed to see John represent himself politically in ways that are not accurate. He is not a moderate Republican. On some issues he is a maverick. But his voting record is far to the right. I fear for his nominations to our Supreme Court, and the consequent continuing loss of individual freedoms, especially regarding moral and religious issues. John is not a religious person, but he has taken every opportunity to ally himself with some really obnoxious and crazy fundamentalist ministers lately. I was also disappointed to see him cozy up to Bush because I know he hates that man. He disingenuously and famously put his arm around the guy, even after Bush had intensely disrespected him with lies and slander. So on these and many other instances, I don't see that John is the "straight talk express" he... markets himself to be. Senator John Sidney McCain, III is a remarkable man who has made enormous personal achievements. And he is a man that I am proud to call a fellow POW who "Returned With Honor." That's our POW motto. But since many of you keep asking what I think of him, I've decided to write it out. In short, I think John Sidney McCain, III is a good man, but not someone I will vote for in the upcoming election to be our President of the United States.About Phillip Butler

Doctor Phillip Butler is a 1961 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a former light-attack carrier pilot. In 1965 he was shot down over North Vietnam where he spent eight years as a prisoner of war. He is a highly decorated combat veteran who was awarded two Silver Stars, two Legion of Merits, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Heart medals. After his repatriation in 1973 he earned a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California at San Diego and became a Navy Organizational Effectiveness consultant. He completed his Navy career in 1981 as a professor of management at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He is now a peace and justice activist with Veterans for Peace.

The campaign opens a new office in Cary NC

James a Vietnam Vet from NC — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:30:26 EDT

Our city, in the heart of the Research Triangle, will be opening a new office on the downtown main street. I look forward to helping out there as I did at the office on Morgan Street in Raleigh. We have a large group of entusiastic supporters here in Cary and they are eager to help win this election.

Congressman, Democrat David Price has his campaign office down the street.