Mexicans put us to shame in fighting for a fair election..

by Mary MacElveen

The United States of America always prides herself as being the land of democracy, but when it comes to elections we fail on so many fronts. Either Americans are too apathetic to vote, or worse those that do vote wonder if their vote even counted through the use of computerized voting machines. When many feel that an election has been stolen from the people, we wonder when the people shall rise up in protest.

As I was looking at these AP photos showing the mass protests by the Mexican people that felt that their presidential election was stolen, I was amazed at the numbers and the passion seen in these many photos. What these numbers tell me is that these Mexican citizens do take their democracy seriously. These pictures should shame all of us living in the United States that believe in democracy yet do nothing. To accept an outcome of any election when the results are questionable is morally repugnant.

When the Bush V. Gore decision was handed down after former Vice President Al Gore fought in our courts for 37 days, the same number that showed up in Mexico City should have stormed the Supreme Court building to tell the five of the nine Supreme Court justices that their decision was un-Constitutional. Like the Mexican people, we in America should have demanded that every vote cast be counted. We should have demanded that voter fraud be taken seriously, investigated and those responsible for any fraud be arrested for treason.

Many felt that former Vice President Gore did not fight hard enough, but let me again reiterate that he took his fight from court to court in the state of Florida. When the Florida Supreme Court decided that a recount take place it was the Bush team of lawyers that took it the Supreme Court of the United States and as we all know, they were the ones that stole democracy from the people. Even supporters of George W. Bush bullied the Palm Beach Board. As reported in a St. Petersburg Times article dated, November 23, 2000, they reported, “Republicans protested furiously, and after a morning of angry shouting by protesters, the chairman said he had concluded it was physically impossible to get the job done by the Florida Supreme Court’s deadline.” Most likely those that bullied this board to stop counting votes, promote Bush’s War in Iraq to promote alleged democracy there.

On March 28, 2003, someone wrote me an email castigating Al Gore concerning the theft of the presidency and my response back to that emailer was, "One man can fight a battle, but he needs an army to win the war. On December 12th, 2000, America did not come to Al Gore’s side to become such an army." Those 100,000 that showed up in Mexico City came to the side of their candidate Lopez Obrador.

As I look upon these pictures of those that support a fair election and support their presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, we owed it not only to ourselves and to Al Gore to show up in these numbers protesting our stolen election. Not to take away from smaller protests that took place down in Florida, but imagine if this number had shown up at the Supreme Court?

Quite frankly, these Mexicans put us to shame in fighting for a fair election. They have shown us all through these numbers exactly what democracy means.

The media both in Mexico and in the United States has propagandized the outcome of this election by telling the people of Mexico and the United States that Felipe Calderon narrowly defeated Obrador, but the Mexican people rose up to show us all that they will not be told who their next president will be. All that did show up in protest must be congratulated in teaching us all what democracy means. After all, it is their election and not the media’s election.

As reported by the AP: “Calderon can’t be declared president-elect until the electoral court weighs allegations of fraud or unfair campaign practices. It has until Sept. 6 to declare a winner.” Notice how the AP is already calling Calderon president-elect? It is my hope that Obrador launches a serious campaign to fight this battle and by all signs, he is showing that he is.

Obrador even stated to a thundering applause, “We are going to ask that they clean up the elections. We are going to ask that they count all the votes - vote-by-vote, poll-by-poll," I was hoping to hear that same talk come from Senator John Kerry in the 2004 presidential elections when he conceded in the early morning hours the day after our Election Day in 2004. Perhaps, we could have been done with Bush sooner rather than later.

Also reported by the AP via the European Union, “election observers have said they had found no major irregularities.” Perhaps Obrador should call upon former President Jimmy Carter to come in and help uncover any voter fraud he feels that took place. As cited by Wikipedia this is what is said of the former president, “He has also traveled extensively to monitor elections,”

I smiled as I read this passage coming from the AP, "We are never going to recognize this man (Calderon)," said Apolinario Fernandez, 37, a teacher from Lopez Obrador’s home state of Tabasco in the southeast. "If he wants, let him govern in the north for the rich, but not in the south." Mr. Fernandez, that is how many here within the United States feel of George W. Bush. As Bush travels abroad which promote riots such as the ones seen in the Summit of the Americas, I hung my head in utter shame claiming, “He is not my president”

Already Bush called Calderon congratulating him on his election and to that I add, not so fast since Obrador will put up a fight. By doing so, Bush has told the Mexican people who their new president is. I would call that interference especially when Mexico has until September 6th to declare a winner.

Belasario Cruz, 32, a farmer from Tabasco had this to say, "We are tired of the rich having everything and the poor having nothing." To, Mr. Cruz the same sentiment can be stated here in the United States as the rich get richer and the poor become even poorer.

As Obrador tries to calm his supporters against using violence, should it occur, those governmental officials that rejected his demand for a recount will ultimately be responsible for loss of life and property. Why not just count the votes with the inclusion of outside parties with no interest in the outcome? Is that so hard to do?

When I read what a political analyst, Oscar Aguilar, stated, "His political stock would increase greatly for 2012" if he finds a way to concede defeat gracefully,” Then he does not fully understand what democracy means. Democracy means that every last vote is counted.

As I stated in previous column written for VHeadline.com, this election has Karl Rove written all over it. Perhaps the reason that the Bush administration wishes for the conservative candidate Calderon to succeed is for this one reason. Bush will most likely have the support of Calderon so nothing disturbs his (Bush’s) plan to build NAFTA (North American Free Trade Association) superhighway.

As reported in this article, it states, “Quietly but systematically, the Bush Administration is advancing the plan to build a huge NAFTA Super Highway, four football-fields-wide, through the heart of the U.S. along Interstate 35, from the Mexican border at Laredo, Tex., to the Canadian border north of Duluth, Minn.”

As Americans clamor for border patrols and a fence to be built separating our country from Mexico, this plan would do more harm than any illegal immigrant could do to our country.

I would like to know why the American mainstream media isn’t shouting from the rafters concerning this job-busting plan. The only one that is really telling it to the American people is Lou Dobbs and I invite all of you to watch this video, which basically calls this plan, “NAFTA on steroids” Lou Dobbs even wonders where the United States Congress’s voice in this matter is. He also called this plan un-Constitutional.

Through this move that will systematically crush the unions in this country, this report cites: “Once complete, the new road will allow containers from the Far East to enter the United States through the Mexican port of Lazaro Cardenas, bypassing the Longshoreman’s Union in the process. The Mexican trucks, without the involvement of the Teamsters Union, will drive on what will be the nation’s most modern highway straight into the heart of America.”

It further reports, “The Mexican trucks will cross border in FAST lanes, checked only electronically by the new “SENTRI” system. The first customs stop will be a Mexican customs office in Kansas City, their new Smart Port complex, a facility being built for Mexico at a cost of $3 million to the U.S. taxpayers in Kansas City.” Why are American tax payers footing this bill that will ultimately destroy this nation?

In closing, I would say that it is in the best interest of the United States as well as Mexico’s that Lopez Obrador continues to fight for this presidential election. I just do not see him saddling up with Bush to build this superhighway that will crush the working class in both countries.

This column is dedicated to those 100,000 thousand Mexicans that showed us all what democracy means.

http://www.marymacelveen.com/blog/_archives/2006/7/9/2093925.html