The RIGHT to be Counted

What I’m about to express may offend, anger and outrage a small number of you readers. Fortunately, I have the RIGHT to say what I want in my own forum and you have the RIGHT to read it or not, respond to it or not, unsubscribe or not…just like we Americans (and those Americans who have French citizenry) have the RIGHT TO VOTE in our democratic societies and choose who will represent us in the political arena.

Americans living in France are still Americans. No matter how long we live here, no matter if we’ve gained French citizenry and the RIGHT TO VOTE in France, we will never be French and will always be Americans with the RIGHT TO VOTE in the U.S. Yes, we have the right to dual nationality. Yes, we have the right to vote “absentee,” from wherever we are living at the time of an election.

Americans living in France are doing so for a multitude of reasons. Many came for their professional lives. Many came because they fell in love with a French person. Many came because they simply fell in love with the French lifestyle and all France has to offer. And many came because they just couldn’t tolerate the current political leanings of America.

Remember the saying “Love It or Leave It?”

Now, isn’t that a stupid idea? Anyone would tell you that the founding fathers of America were not “love it or leave it” people. Thomas Jefferson said in the making of the Declaration of Independence: “…Whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the RIGHT of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem mo

st likely to effect their safety and happiness.” (Want to read more, visit Lewrockwell.com)

Monday night, Democrats Abroad invited its members to a screening of “Uncounted,” an “explosive new documentary that shows how the election fraud that changed the outcome of the 2004 election led to even greater fraud in 2006 – and now looms as an unbridled threat to the outcome of the 2008 election.”

The screening took place in the theater of the CinéAqua, a newly reopened aquarium (after 20years) at the base of the Jardins du Trocadéro with three cinemas and over 25 different screens. To enter the theater, we passed many large tanks of exotic fish and an arch of spraying water defying gravity. (For more information, visit Cineaqua.com )

Every seat was filled. Chairperson of Democrats Abroad, Joe Smallhoover, made a quick introduction to the controversial feature-length film by Emmy award-winning director David Earnhardt which examines “in factual, logical, and yet startling terms how easy it is to change election outcomes and undermine election integrity across the U.S.”

So, now you understand what prompted this missive. The 81-minute film literally made my stomach turn. It’s bad enough that our absentee ballots “must be included in the first set of unofficial returns filed with the Division of Elections no later than noon the 3rd day AFTER the primary or noon the 5th day AFTER the general election,” but “Uncounted” clearly proves, with the testimony of noted computer programmers, statisticians, journalists, and experienced election officials providing the irrefutable proof that Americans were cheated during the 2004 elections — their votes were prevented, stolen, changed…uncounted! Even software was created to “flip” votes from one candidate to another using electronic voting machines.

With all the RIGHTS we have to VOTE, it seems we can’t COUNT on really having them after all. So, should we leave it if we don’t love it? Or fight for our rights?

Democrats Abroad says:

Register now! Head to VoteFromAbroad.org to register and apply for your absentee ballot. We recommend that you apply again each election year, just in case a local voting official’s dog (or virtual equivalent) has eaten the absentee voter records. It only takes a few minutes, one signature, and a stamp, and you’ll be sure your absentee ballot request is current. Then tell your friends and colleagues and far-flung cousins about VoteFromAbroad.org, too.

One last note. Please DO NOT write to tell me I don’t have the RIGHT to write what is written here. I do, and your telling me would be grossly un-American.

A la prochaine…

Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris