July 8, 2004
(recipient),
I am writing today regarding an ugly issue that was brought up in a
recent AP article. This article has been reprinted in many sources, one of which is here:
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/politics/9014105.htmI want you to understand the outrage myself and my peers are feeling at the possibility of postponement, or even CANCELLATIONS of national
elections due to terrorist threats. The thought of delaying an
election due to any threat, real or imaginary, is contrary to the very spirit that makes us Americans. That someone could even propose this possibility is laughable.
We, as Americans, held elections during the Civil War. We can certainly hold them during an "elevated threat level," or even during an outright attack. Nothing must get in the way of our freedom, our rights, and of our democracy.
To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, those that give up any essential
liberty in exchange for temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety.
The thought of manipulating or delaying an election in any way, shape, or form rings of fascism. I hope you also regard it as such.
Sincerely yours,