On NBC News, they just reported that in Seminole County, Florida, the
Republican party mailed out absentee ballots already filled out (already
voted) except for a signature and social security numbers and when they
came back, if all that information was not supplied by the voter, the
county party completed the ballot and then it was cast. The Republican
elections official defended the practice as being "helpful."
What is "helpful" in one county would be called the most appalling type
of vote fraud that I have ever heard of, as a native of Cook County,
Illinois where I thought I had heard of everything! If the Communist
Party had ever spoken with the Seminole County Republicans, they would
have learned something about how to fix an election! This is the most
corrupt vote fraud activity that I have ever heard of.
But what does it really mean? Both major parties and the minor parties
as well have corrupt people in them who have done corrupt things. There
is no sinless party in the US (or anywhere), nor is there an evil
party. The blanket condemnations of "Dems" and the Democrats by some is
just plain wrong, as are the blanket condemnations of Republicans.
As partisan a Democrat as I am, I have seen sickening corruption and bad
acts by both parties as well as good and decent and courageous acts. I
was conceived by Republicans, born of Republicans during the 1952
Republican National Convention (where you may recall the Eisenhower
forces used shall we say questionable means to oust Taft delegates; my
mother said she went into labor listening to the convention and all the
hospital staff were more concerned with her convention reports than her
labor and my birth). I was raised by Republicans. Most of my family is
Republican.
To say that Democrats are more compassionate than Republicans is not
fair nor right. They may define "compassion" differently in political
terms but my Republican mother was as compassionate as person as I ever
knew; she voted wrong (ha ha!) but she taught me to vote, worked as an
elections judge, and was a compassionate and generous person. On the
other hand I wouldn't be hungry in a roomful of my Republican relatives
but that may have more to do with their appetites than compassion
issues! (We also are Italian, Polish, German, and Bohemian and lived in
Chicago so we ate every type of ethnic food and I enjoyed those food
discussions.)
So I am glad that the blanket condemnations of the "other" political
party of late last week have ceased. Cars are a better issue. (1986
Nissan 300ZX and 1985 Subaru; one is my glistening sports car and one is
my $600 winter beater with 4-wheel drive and I defy anyone to have
guessed that I own either type of car). And: stick shifts are better.
The last car I had (83 Nissan 280ZX) that was an automatic, I traded
away.
As a Chicagoan, I will close with the comment that the Seminole County,
Florida Republican vote fraud scheme which they call helpful is
insidiously corrupt and I am amazed that no Chicago Democrat ever
thought of that! We only cast ballots for dead people; we insisted the
live ones do it for themselves!
(the Rev) Vince
