Celebrating Independence Day with Democracy

You may have heard it said that there’s no significant difference between the 2 big national political parties, the Democrats and the Republicans. And, while it’s certainly true that many elected officials of both parties are in thrall to their biggest campaign contributors (including the corporations), the same cannot be said of the folx down at the grass roots.

As a member of the Democratic Party of Dane County, I authored and introduced the 3 resolutions reproduced below. They were adopted at the county level and made the cut of the top 10 to be forwarded to the convention of the 2nd Congressional District. There they were ratified and made the cut of the top 10 to be forwarded to the state party convention, held in Milwaukee last weekend. I am pleased to report that they were adopted there as well.

The resolution about Iraq was amended before its adoption. One of the other delegates (Gordon Parks) pointed out that the Iraq Invasion may have lasted longer than American involvement in WW2, but not longer than the war itself (which had already been going on for over 2 years, starting with Hitler’s attack on Poland on 1939 September 1, when Pearl Harbor was bombed on 1941 December 7). He made the point that we shouldn’t be arrogant Americans and define the world only in terms of us. I heartily agreed with him, and so did everyone else. We eliminated that clause, then adopted the resultant resolution unanimously.

These resolutions — and about 60 others adopted by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin — will now be used by the state Platform and Resolutions Committee to craft the official DPW platform, which will then be provided to all Democratic elected officials and candidates for office in Wisconsin.

That’s the way democracy works at the grass-roots level. That’s the way it should work thruout all of government.

Paper Ballots Are Best

WHEREAS, fair voting is fundamental to democracy;

WHEREAS, the sole value of electronic voting machines (EVMs) is speed of reporting, not accuracy; and

WHEREAS, EVMs can be hacked; therefore

RESOLVED by the DPW that state law should mandate that every vote in Wisconsin be cast on a voter-marked paper ballot, regardless of how they are counted; and, after each election, paper ballots in a randomly selected 10% of the wards be manually canvassed.


Fighting for Fair Voting

WHEREAS, the Bush Administration has a sordid history of entitling its legislative initiatives — No Child Left Behind, Clear Skies Act, Healthy Forests Initiative — opposite to what the legislation does;

WHEREAS, the major problem with elections in America is people not being allowed to vote, or their votes not being counted; and

WHEREAS, despite its lying title, the Help America Vote Act makes it harder for people to vote; therefore

RESOLVED, the DPW supports voting laws which make it as easy as possible for citizens to register and vote and should fight contrary federal legislation with lawsuits if necessary.


Out of Iraq Now

WHEREAS, the Bush Administration lied us into war in Iraq;

WHEREAS, that war has now lasted longer than World War 2; and

WHEREAS, that war is needlessly killing and maiming Americans, Iraqis, and others; destroying families and communities; bankrupting our nation; shredding our civil liberties; and costing us many friends we had in the world; therefore

RESOLVED, the DPW demands the United States get the hell out of Iraq NOW! Now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now!