Thank you to the brave Congressional Black Caucus.  Thank you to Rep. John Conyers, a fine representative of the heart of Detroit and the whole of Michigan.  Thank you to Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., Rep. Maxine Waters, and Rep. Stephanie Tubbs-Jones for their fiery words of love and passion for the democratic system.  Thank you to Rep. Dennis Kucinich for being one of the very few white men to stand for the American way.  Thanks to Sen. Barbara Boxer for at least giving the Congress a chance to debate the travesty that is our electoral system.  Thank you to all that stood rigid during the fight for one of our basic rights.

Shame be upon you Republicans of the House and Senate.  Shame be upon you for your oversimplification of the problems faced by the voters of not only Ohio, but of voters all over this country.  Shame upon you all for belittling the honest fight of those I mentioned above to not contest the election of George W. Bush because he, indeed, did win this election employing the phantoms of fear and deception, but to contest the processes in which so many citizens, Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike, were disenfranchised.  Shame upon you for making partisan a basic right that is not, has not, and will not be disseminated equally until reforms in elections processes come to pass.  Shame upon Rep. Tom DeLay, especially, for contributing to the “noise” he proclaims to despise.  Shame upon you all, Republicans of Congress, for your selfish, short sighted, and deeply racist notions.

Shame be upon you Democrats of the House and Senate.  Shame be upon you for your spineless words and your empty votes.  Shame be upon you for placing value on your seat’s worth as opposed to the heavy convictions that pull at your chains.  Shame upon you all for cowering in the face of controversy while one of our country’s basic rights is held hostage by corporate interests and the conservative right wing.  When our time comes in two, four, six, or eight years to cast our votes, we will remember your cowardice in the face of a great adversary; an enemy that could have suffered damage if not for your fear.  One of you saw worth in standing for the absurdity of the Ohio election results knowing full well that no matter what George W. Bush was going to be elected into the presidency once again due to the Republican majority in Congress.  Sen. Barbara Boxer saw an opportunity to stand knowing that there was nothing to lose.  There was nothing to lose by standing firm behind the notion that our electoral process is and has been very flawed and will only mutate further into a beast so great and so unconquerable that our democracy will crumble under its weight.  Shame upon you all.

Despite my admonishment of our employees in Congress, I do have hope.  Where will our hope come from?  I do not know.  When will it come?  I do not know.  From whom will it come?  Alas, my friends, our help comes from our very selves.

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