Do We Still Have a Democracy? - Ernest Partridge

http://www.democraticunderground.com/articles/04/11/10_democracy.html

"'Trust us' is Totally Unacceptable

In a free society, where the legitimacy of the government must reside in the consent of the governed, "trust us" is a totally unacceptable response to the citizen's demand for proof of the integrity of his vote. It is doubly unacceptable, when "trust us" is uttered by an employee of a private company, the officers of which have announced their support of a political party and of candidates whose names appear on the ballot.

And that is exactly the condition in which we find ourselves in the presidential election of 2004.

Herein, as all too few observers have noticed, is the crux of this issue: it is not the ability of the critics to prove electoral fraud, but rather the inability of the manufacturers and software programmers to prove electoral integrity.

Let us state the fundamental moral and political issue clearly and emphatically."

Lots more, I think he raises important issues.

Edit to fix link to DU page.

You have the right to vote, but maybe not to have it count.

This is the test. We've been screwed with from time to time, but this is the big one. That's why I'm here — not the most politically savvy person in the world, but very ethical, and since reading up after the 2000 election have actually a lot of respect for our Republic. But the right to vote is the one right that protects all other rights, and if our vote won't count due to corruption or unauditability or whatever, then the democracy is over.

I love this country and what it can do. Let's get it back.