The following announcement for a rally on July 13th to “Protect the Vote” actually symbolizes how we are losing our country. The rally’s purpose is not to protect our votes: it is a rally to marginalize our vote. The term “useful idiots” as defined by Lenin proves this is not Democracy but Communism at work in our state and country. The organizers are calling for their supporters to wear red at this event: how appropriate.
The problem is that we are being misled by both the right and the left. Who are the more useful idiots: the people who will support this rally under false premises or the people who will counter protest to support the GOP who are using this as a campaign issue?
What would our founding fathers say about voting? One vote per person is why they sacrificed their lives and fortune to give us a representative republic. They did not give up their sacred honor in order to promote an agenda or political party. Does anyone not believe it is our duty to vote responsibly and fairly in our elections? We have to ask why this legislation should be necessary, let alone debated. We do not have to ask who our enemy is: they are out in the open wearing wear red.
The solution is simple. We have the right and the duty to vote in elections. This means that we should never vote for the lesser of two evils, have one vote per person, vote only on election day and validate who we are when we cast our vote. We also should ask why neither party or political groups working for the people do not prosecute voter fraud cases if they meant what they say. If we understood that voter fraud is used to steal elections by Democrats and used as a campaign issue by Republicans, we could unite to fix what is a very simple problem. But instead we fall into the trap designed to divide us and this is why we are losing our country.
David DeGerolamo
PROTECT THE VOTE
RALEIGH RALLY
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
11:00 AM
NC General Assembly Building
16 W. Jones St.
Raleigh, NC
The General Assembly convenes again on July 13th and GOP leaders have announced they will try to override Gov. Perdue’sveto of the voter ID bill, eliminate Same Day Registration, slice a week off Early Voting, end straight-ticket voting and eliminate successful public financing programs. Meanwhile, redistricting of voting districts is underway – and the stakes are huge! We can’t stop now. Take a stand for democracy:
The group sponsoring this event is democracy-nc.org. The following information comes from their website:
http://www.democracy-nc.org/concerns/rights.html
“One person, one vote” has been used as the battle cry for universal suffrage (the right to vote) in various formats for hundreds of years.
But it has other, more modern, meanings as well – including the method of drawing voting districts that support America’s representative democracy. This means that — with a new census upon us — the concept of “one person, one vote” is more relevant than ever. After the difficult task of tracking changes in the U.S. population is complete, this data will be used to redraw districts and ensure a fair distribution of seats in the U.S. Congress, the NC General Assembly and local governmental bodies. Here in North Carolina, we will be participating in this process, working to ensure that every person’s voice counts equally and that re-districting is fairly implemented.
These simple words define democracy – yet making the promise of “one person, one vote” real has proved to be a challenge that is taking hundreds of years and counting. And the
struggle for voting rights is not over yet. Many people in NC, like ex-felons or new citizens, do not realize they have the right to vote. Others do not have access to the voter information that would teach them how to vote. Still others lack the confidence that their vote will be counted, face intimidation at the polling place or work for employers who penalize them for taking time off to vote.
We are concerned with all of these barriers to voting and work hard each year to minimize them, even as we are registering new voters and increasing turnout among voters. We believe that representative government works best when more citizens exercise their right to vote.
How We Protect & Encourage Voting
We make civic engagement a priority activity and:
- Advocate for electoral policies that promote and protect the right to vote.
- Provide voter registration training and education.
- Educate ex-felons and others on their right to vote.
- Lobby local BOE’s to expand early voting and offer Sunday Voting.
- Get out the vote at election time
and provide resources that help other groups get out the vote. - Help develop and distribute voter guides.
- Participate in Election Protection, a national consortium of voting rights groups that educate people on their rights and these rights at election time.
- Serve as a civic engagement partner to many statewide and local groups.
- Participate in court cases that seek to remedy violations of voting rights, ensure voting rights are maintained or eliminate corruption in the voting process.
Learn More
Here are some priority areas of concern for Democracy North Carolina when it comes to voting and voter rights. Just click in a topic to download a pdf that tells you more:
- Same-Day Registration
- Felon Re-Enfranchisement
- Instant Runoff Voting
- Help America Vote Act
- Voter’s Bill of Rights
