Freedom and Democracy
in these United States

It all started when a handful or two of people, "who hate us for our freedom" hijacked and flew some planes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a wooded area in Pennsylvania.

Since then, I’ve heard that Freedom and Democracy are to be defended, that Freedom isn’t free, and that its important to send our young men and women to fight and die defending that Freedom.

So the greatest military power the world has ever seen is used to inflict shock and awe on a country on which we had imposed an economic boycott for over ten years, on a people under the control of a man WE had installed and supported in power because we THOUGHT he had WMD’s. But we found through the Downing Street memos that OUR President cooked the intelligence to justify the case for war.

Next we discovered that prisoners "of war" were tortured and killed using "enhanced interrogation techniques" and even innocent individuals were kidnapped and taken to countries that allow torture denied due process and access to legal counsel that would have been able to challenge the charges on which they were being held.

We’ve also found that spying on all US citizens has been authorized by the President without the benefit of a warrant and without benefit or scrutiny of a judicial review to validitate the need for spying. And although the President has insisted it is legal to do so, he has championed legislation granting companies that assisted him, RETROACTIVE immunity. Now why would they need immunity if what they were doing was legal?

To help spread Freedom and Democracy throughout the world, I decide to get more involved. In 2 of the last 4 general elections, our current Congressman, was the only person on the ballot! Needing only 4269 valid petition signatures to qualify for the ballot to run against him, I decide to give Democracy a shot. But Democracy can be disappointing. Even though citizens are incredibly supportive to have someone run against our current congressman, it is mostly illegal to collect the necessary petitions to get on the ballot.

Armed with a thousand forms and several pens I begin my attempts to collect the required signatures…. Only it’s not just signatures that are required, it is also personal information, such as street address and date of birth.

These days there are many individuals who understandabley won't provide this kind of information to a complete stranger, though surprisingly, many citizens are so dedicated to the democratic process and interested to see additional names on the ballot that they provide this information willingly.

The bigger disappointment is the number of individuals working for their corporations who quickly inform me that I cannot stand and ask people to complete the petition. Apparently, there is absolutely no room for Democracy in front of Winn Dixie, Target, or Publix shopping centers. I must have "corporate" approval at places like the Panama City Mall, Walmart, and Pier Park. Law enforcement officers explain I cannot stand too close to people gathering at the Marina Civic Center for the Passion Play performances, and I am quickly dispatched to an area further away where collecting petitions is significantly more difficult even though I have not harassed or bludgeoned anyone.

I research the right to petition and find out that judges in a number of lawsuits in the state of Florida… even in Bay County Florida have ruled that shopping centers and a malls are quasi-public spaces and that petitioners DO have the right under the first amendment to the Constitution to collect petitions. Hooray! But wait a minute… apparently, corporate interest such as Publix and the Florida Chamber of Commerce have determined that Democracy and Freedom is only important to their interests and have prevailed upon lawmakers in the State of Florida to pass legislation, signed into law by Charlie Crist in July 2007 to prohibit a person from collecting petitions on "private commercial property". Hasn’t anybody in the Florida legislature read the constitution lately? The United States Constitution grants people the FREEDOM to peaceably assemble and PETITION THE GOVERNMENT FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES" Perhaps they are too busy corporatizing everything.

The final insult to Freedom and Democracy was when uniformed soldiers and officers at the Tyndall Air Force base threatened to forcibly remove me if I continued to ask people as they were waiting in line to go through the security checkpoint to sign my petitions and help me qualify for the ballot as their representative to the Congress of the United States. A publicly held event. Paid for using taxpayer funds. People simply waiting to be searched. Many willing and more than happy to sign the petition. No one objecting to me asking. No disturbance... threatened with forcible removal and arrest. For what? For asking people to sign a petition form?

So much for Freedom and Democracy in these United States.

PS. I still have a significant deficit in my campaign account. Please donate to help defray some of the costs incurred in my efforts to gain ballot access. Any amount will be appreciated.

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