Priaise be to our soldiersm Amen On Nov 5, 2:52 pm, MJ <[email protected]> wrote: > Praise be to Government, Amen. > > Regard$, > --MJ > > "[Y]ou simply cannot argue with nationalists. The Germans are fully > convinced that compulsion applied by them to other nations is fair and > just, while compulsion applied to themselves is criminal." > -- Ludwig von Mises, Omnipotent Government > > At 02:04 PM 11/5/2010, you wrote: > > > > >Military votes should be taken before any official election dates, and > >counted first. No way to contest, disallow or challenge. FIRST. > > >If I could, I'd say count those ones twice. > > >I know we can't, but if anyone's vote counts more than John/Jane Q. > >Public's, its John/Jane Q. Soldier's > > >On Nov 5, 1:42 pm, dick thompson <[email protected]> wrote: > > > If the Republicans allow this one to slip by then they have only > > > themselves to blame when the next election the military still does not > > > get to vote because of the actions of the local election boards and the > > > states. > > > > The Scandal of Military Voter Disenfranchisement > > > We can't depend on the Justice Department to see to it that the states > > > comply with the law regarding absentee ballots being shipped in a timely > > > manner to military personnel overseas. > > > November 4, 2010 - by Captain Samuel F. Wright, JAGC, USN (Ret.) > > > > Share | > > > > In a speech to the House of Commons on August 20, 1940, Prime Minister > > > Winston Churchill said: > > > > The gratitude of every home in our island, in our empire, and indeed > > > throughout the world, except in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to > > > the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant > > > challenge of mortal danger, are turning the tide of world war by their > > > prowess and their devotion. Never in the field of human conflict was so > > > much owed by so many to so few. > > > > These eloquent words about the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain > > > could apply equally to the men and women of the United States Armed > > > Forces today. The entire U.S. military establishment, including the > > > National Guard and Reserve, amounts to less than three-fourths of 1 > > > percent of the U.S. population. It is these few who, by their prowess > > > and their devotion, have protected all Americans from a repeat of the > > > horrors of September 11, 2001. > > > > What do these few ask of our country in exchange for their valiant > > > service? They have every right to ask, and indeed to demand, that they > > > be given the opportunity to cast ballots in elections that get counted. > > > In a 1952 letter to Congress, President Harry S. Truman wrote: > > > > About 2,500,000 men and women in the Armed Forces are of voting age at > > > the present time. Many of those in uniform are serving overseas, or in > > > parts of the country distant from their homes. They are unable to > > > return to their States either to register or to vote. Yet these men and > > > women, who are serving their country and in many cases risking their > > > lives, deserve above all others to exercise the right to vote in this > > > election year. At a time when these young people are defending our > > > country and its free institutions, the least we at home can do is to > > > make sure that they are able to enjoy the rights they are being asked to > > > fight to preserve. > > > > President Truman's letter is included in a 1952 report of the > > > Subcommittee on Elections, Committee on House Administration, U.S. House > > > of Representatives, concerning voting rights for military personnel > > > fighting the Korean War. The Honorable C.G. Hall, secretary of state of > > > Arkansas and president of the National Association of Secretaries of > > > State, testified that military personnel in Korea and elsewhere were > > > likely to be disenfranchised because late primaries, ballot access > > > lawsuits, and other problems made it impossible for local election > > > officials (LEOs) to print and mail absentee ballots until just a few > > > days before Election Day. > > > > In his 1952 letter, President Truman called upon the states to fix this > > > problem, and he called upon Congress to enact temporary federal > > > legislation for the 1952 presidential election. He wrote, > > > > Any such legislation by Congress should be temporary, since it should be > > > possible to make all the necessary changes in State laws before the > > > congressional elections of 1954. > > > > Well, it did not work out that way. The Korean War ground to an > > > inconclusive halt in 1952, the issue dropped off our national radar > > > screen, and the states did not fix the problem. Finally, in 2009, > > > Congress enacted the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act (MOVE > > > Act). This new law requires every state to mail out absentee ballots to > > > military personnel and family members by the 45th day before Election > > > Day (e.g., September 18, 2010). Several sstates with late primaries > > > applied for and received waivers for 2010, and agreed to extend the > > > deadline for the return of ballots mailed in from overseas. > > > > In Illinois, the problem was not a late primary. Indeed, Illinois held > > > its 2010 primary on February 2, 2010. But 35 of 110 Illinois counties > > > seriously missed the September 18 deadline. One of the late counties > > > was St. Clair County, home to 261,000 people and to Scott Air Force Base. > > > > The U.S. Department of Justice is responsible for enforcing the MOVE > > > Act, but it seems not to take its responsibilities seriously --- perhaps > > > because military personnel vote overwhelmingly Republican when they do > > > have the opportunity to vote. > > > > DoJ entered into a consent decree with Illinois that does not solve the > > > problem. In those counties that were seriously late in sending out > > > ballots, the consent decree extends by only one day (from November 1 to > > > November 2) the deadline for the postmark of the marked ballot coming > > > back to the local election official. If Sergeant Smith in Afghanistan > > > receives his ballot on November 3, he cannot cast a ballot that will get > > > counted. > > > > Congress should amend the MOVE Act to clarify that individual military > > > voters have a private right of action to enforce the 45-day rule. We > > > cannot depend upon DOJ to enforce this law in good faith. DOJ, under > > > present management, will paper over MOVE Act violations for the same > > > reason that it condoned voter intimidation by the New Black Panther > > > Party in Philadelphia in 2008. > > > > Congress should also clarify that military personnel and family members > > > overseas have the right to vote in state and local elections as well as > > > federal elections, and that any violation of the 45-day rule must be > > > remedied by a court order extending both the deadline for the postmark > > > of the marked ballot and the deadline for its receipt. > > > > It is a national scandal that we as a nation are still conducting > > > absentee voting in much the same way that it was conducted during the > > > Korean War --- by shipping pieces of paper across oceans and continents > > > by snail mail. In our Armed Forces, classified information is > > > transmitted and received every day by secure electronic means. In > > > commerce, billions of dollars change hands electronically every business > > > day. If electronic means are secure enough for our nation's most > > > important secrets and for huge sums of money, why is it not possible, in > > > 2010, for deployed service members to vote by a secure means that will > > > guarantee that their ballots are counted? > > > > Captain Wright retired after a career as a judge advocate in the Navy > > > and Navy Reserve. He has been working the military voting issue since > > > 1976. > > > > Podcasts > > > Subscribe > > > PJM Home > > > If you liked this article, please consider signing up for PJM daily > > > digest. > > > > Pajamas Media appreciates your comments that abide by the following > > > guidelines: > > > > 1. Avoid profanities or foul language unless it is contained in a > > > necessary quote or is relevant to the comment. > > > > 2. Stay on topic. > > > > 3. Disagree, but avoid ad hominem attacks. > > > > 4. Threats are treated seriously and reported to law enforcement. > > > > 5. Spam and advertising are not permitted in the comments area. > > > > These guidelines are very general and cannot cover every possible > > > situation. Please don't assume that Pajamas Media management agrees with > > > or otherwise endorses any particular comment. We reserve the right to > > > filter or delete comments or to deny posting privileges entirely at our > > > discretion. Please note that comments are reviewed by the editorial > > > staff and may not be posted immediately. If you feel your comment was > > > filtered inappropriately, please email us [email protected] > > > <mailto:[email protected]>. > > > > 15 Comments, 14 Threads > > > > 1. Ken > > > How about an amendment to the MOVE Act, so that military members who > > > don't get their absentee ballots on time are allowed to skip paying > > > state and local income taxes for the year? > > > > November 4, 2010 - 5:17 pm Link to this Comment | Reply > > > canuck > > > Good idea but two flaws. Some states have no income taxes and the period > > > should extend through the term of whomever is on the ballot. Six years > > > for Senate and four for President or Governor. Include federal taxes and > > > this will be an incentive to get votes to them. > > > > November 5, 2010 - 3:07 am Link to this Comment | Reply > > > 2. justasimplepatriot > > > Sign on Marine Barracks outside of Baghdad: > > > > "America is not at war, We are at war. America is at the Mall." > > > > How do you think this vote travesty impacts our troops. > > > > Raise Hell, America. > > > > November 4, 2010 - 6:07 pm Link to this Comment | Reply > > > 3. Anonymous > > > I do not see why the military just doesn't conduct it's own election > > > right where they are stationed and then add the vote to the state totals. > > > It is a national disgrace that illegal aliens have their vote more > > ... > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text -
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