Thank you for all you do William Pitt

I am filled with both sadness and hope on your post. Sadness because so many people here so desperately want to believe that relief will come soon and Kerry will become President and I don't find that to be realistic. Hope because people like you are fighting tooth and nail to make change happen and to reform the system.

We are fighting an entrenched group of powerful people who are benefiting from the present system. They do not want to change it because it works for them. They have an incredible amount of power they can use to obstruct and delay change. And until we change the public debate and find a convincing appeal to the media and the public's sense of fairness, it won't change.

I was so excited last night when I heard Kerry was posting that letter to appeal the Ohio vote count. Not because I thought it would put Kerry into the WH, but because I hoped it would bring attention to the issue. We need attention, we need to engage the media and give them a case they can understand and write about. I am still hopeful that this is a step in the right direction. But this is a big fight and I fear it will take a great deal of determination to win it. And it will take time. Change always does.

Again, thanks for doing what you do and for obviously caring so much about this issue. Entrenched power never, never gives in easily. It is inspirational to know that there are people who recognize this, recognize that this fight will be nasty and expensive and long and who choose to fight it anyway. I truly appreciate your efforts and what you do to stand up for the American ideal of one man/one vote and to make sure that vote counts and matters. See you at truthout.org. Keep the faith!

I want to separate out the person from the post. The messenger was getting mixed up with the message.

We have to remember who our friends are even when we disagree with them or when they bring unsettling news. And I thought the other thread was getting muddled.

stic expectations to think it was all going to happen today and that there would be no obstacles to overcome.

What's the problem?

That was nice of you.

I don't understand these "THIS IS THE WAY IT IS PEOPLE, GET USED TO IT" stances.

Everyone has their own certainty of what "reality" is, but the reality being discussed is a FUTURE reality. It's absurd to make absolute statements about it. I'm not sure why so many think it's necessary to convince those who don't agree with them that their perceived future reality is the only possible one.

I want this fraudulent election overturned AND I want the system reformed to prevent it from ever happening again. What's wrong with hoping or believing that BOTH of these things come to pass?

That's what I'm hoping for, and I will neither apologize for continuing to hope for both (or stop fighting for them!), nor qualify my hope.

Personally, I NEED hope to be able to keep going, and I need to see that I'm not the only one who has it. People who desperately want to believe do not make me sad. They make me hopeful.

I WANT TO BELIEVE.