[Mpls] Fw: This democray...

[mekosh]

----- Original Message ----- From: mekosh To: Mpls Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2001 4:37 PM Subject: Fw: This democray...   ----- Original Message ----- From: mekosh To: Mpls Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2001 12:05 AM Subject: This democray... Hello   the friends of MPL-issues,   Last week I've attended the DFL Convention  for  the 6th Ward. As new immigrant in USA I was really concern to know more about the democracy and freedom. How it is working, how it is implement in the life of the people. And do not forget, I came form the country where the democracy and the freedom are as   the baby...As a man born  in the totalitarian system as the communism was in Albania, as the journalist working  under the communism and under the freedom, I was interested to se how the convention will be held, how  the people will demonstrate their willings to endorse the best persons for the city council etc...   I was not there by chance.  My friend Barb   Lickness is running for City  Council. Of course I was full supporter of Barb who has became my family friend through  Mpls - issues. Attending the meeting  of DFL was so interesting and impressive for me.Even that Barb did not win the endorsement of the DFL for the City Council, I've   seen a great example how the democracy is working, how the people are giving the breath to it.In this poster I would like to share with  all of you my feelings about this first meeting. I was free to be there, to support my candidate, to express in free way my sympathy for her and to be proud of her...I could no be so free even in my homecountry where I was born and grow up... Sometimes  most of Americans do not understand that the freedom is starting just here."This is simple, this is nothing' anyone of you can say. I do not think so. To feel the freedom  just in simple way means that you can enjoy it all. And I can tell why...   Following the convention of DFL for 6th ward  I was concern to know better how the American people, how the simple people are expressing their willing, their attitudes.The convention was the model for that. We all supporters of the candidates that were looking for the endorsment,  were side by side keeping on our eyes our  preferable candidates.No one told me "Do not support Barb..." No one made pressure to my preference. Another way if you will be in a country where the democracy is still baby, you could not be so free to support your candidate. Thinking for the democracy on the rest of the world I thought the key of success of freedom in USA is just in this simple starting. In my  entire life I've attended several conventions, conferences etc. During the communism time we used to have the meetings like this, but people have no chance to choose. All the candidates for city council for instance were predecide by the special structure of the communist party. No one could be free to run inside the party in independent way. So we know that if someone was decide   "by high" he was going to win. No really alternative and ideas of progressr were allowed. We used to say: "This is  really freedom.This is really democracy." Of course this was the propaganda.And ironically in the day of the voting   people were forced to go to vote   by 6.00 AM and "to sing" for the "paradise of communism".It was a dramatic day to see the people to be obligate to vote as soon as possible and the declare at 7.30 0r 8.00 am : "100% of the  people took place in voting"  and " 99.99 % of them voted for the candidate of democratic front..."In reality we had no alternative. The people just moved the  ballots form the table  where they made the formalities to the "box"...   Of course this belong to the past.Even now the democracy in the east of Europe is at least 10 years old, we still have a lot of problems. I've seen how  the result of election were stolen.I've seen in my home country that people were going to vote  under the guns and the pressure. There is a  fix mentality in postcomunist societies: "The result of election  are fair of I'm winner...If not, nothing is fair.Everything is manipulate..." And the politician are for ever under the fire to fight each-other.   The politician, most of the time are fighting to achieve their goals. This means that you can not be the politician and to be quite at the same time. You have to fight. The election process is "the battle" but it is great to see this "battle" to be held on the peace. This was just what I've seen in last Convention of DFL.Of course in this battle not all the time candidates that are fighting for the people are elected very easy.But is good to see that each of potential candidate accept the result.So at the end Barb  will accept what the Convention of DFL decided by the vote, but she is free to run even that party did not endorse her. I think that sometimes the delegate of the convention is hard to say that represent all the specter of the public.I've seen some of them to be tired  by repeating the voting that means: " Let's give a vote. Let's finish..."  I think  this moment is a "sleepy democracy..."  If you go back to public it is fresh most of the time. The question is how to get the way to bring this "fresh public"  inside the convention.   One of the big impression for me was the fact that sometimes you can see how someone can misuse the freedom and democracy. In the DFL convention one person was looking for endorsment form DFL and Green Party at the same time. Is that honest way to run for office?  Do you think that in this way you damage the democracy   freedom as well?   For me, during the  16 months in USA, one of the most significant fact is the public concern for the freedom  and the democracy. In the rest of the world the American Democracy is presented as perfect one.It is full glorified. As outsider you can not se anything to be improved inside this democracy. There is no question that this is  the best democracy but it is not perfect.Better than me  every american  knows this fact. For that reason most of American are concern about it,  they are  working  everyday  to keep the democracy, to develop it, to implement it. In Albanian we have an expression: "Uji qe  rrjedh pihet" - "The water that flows is drinkable". For sure this is the best democracy because behind it are all the Americans or mach better to say inside it are all the Americans.   I'm proud   to be in this country where the dreams are coming true and the freedom and democracy are the preoccupation of all the people.In this country  you  learn and get inspiration. Let's me to say that on the day of DFL Convention I was  24 hours without sleeping and still I was fresh.This because  the way how the freedom is working here give you the inspiration for the future.Let say that in Mpls-issues you can see how much energy  all of you are spending  that democracy to be all the time on the  right way.   For sure it will be for ever.   Thanks   Shefqet Meko   South Minneapolis