On my piano sits a hymn book I've kept there since my days as an active Mormon when, among other things, I played the organ every Sunday in church. One of the hymns in that book is entitled, The Morning Breaks, The Shadows Flee."

Such describes my mood today. Once again those of us who've been actively involved in what we were taught in our civics classes - and believed -  enter into this bi-annual day of hope with a prayer that by the end of the day we will have taken giant steps back toward social, economic and political sanity.

Many like me re-entered our political process with reluctance, not wanting to be bothered ... until it became clear that those driving the vehicle of democracy had their pedal to the floor, little concern for steering through hair-pin curves and no concern for the safety of America's citizens and the cargo of constitutional protections and freedom.

We clearly saw madmen at the wheel.

Any change from our current circumstance - from having exchanged citizen priorities for corporate priorities to having lost the most powerful global influence for good in the name of greed, corporate capitalism and undifferentiated power - will be a giant step backward toward sanity. On the three previous days of hope I went to bed around midnight with a disappointment and shattered sense of the political wisdom of the electorate;

with a new fear that we might have forever lost our capacity for fair and honest elections;

with a genuine active Christian's disgust with any priest or preacher who makes of the pulpit not a force for goodness and Jesus' teachings about kindness, forgiveness and the true God of Compassion, but a bullhorn for social repression, lies about who victims are and a pretense that God as a bigot is on the side of bigots.

What will I feel when the dawn returns to darkness this evening? A day's end sense of serenity and hope?

or continued despair?

Across the spectrum of political ideas the wisest and most honorable counsel of all advocates who place country above party and ideology is that we all participate.

The best way to combat any notion that partisans can mechanically manipulate our votes is thru massive voter turnout and monitoring of polling sites.

With attention focused on the actual mechanics and integrity of voting systems, any attempt to manipulate places the cheaters at greater risk. They will be in need of attempting to manipulate an ever-increasing quantity of votes because more votes have been cast and by voters with expectations.

Make no mistake that the national consciousness is the sense that bums need to be thrown out. We do not need polls to tell us so, merely to pay attention whenever conversation turns to this election.

Short of joining the restricted audience at a Republican party rally, when was the last time you took part in a conversation where the majority of opinion favored retaining Bush and his party.

The sleeping giant is awake and if a High Noon is out there, it had better not be the result a rotten-smelling election.

The idea that a voting result that resembles the recent election in Mexico would truly test the patriotism and individual commitment to the ultimate ideal of democracy based on the individual voting voice.

The need and Willingness to fight for our country has never been greater in the lives of most Americans.

If, at the end of today's voting we are told about a total disconnect from the reality preceding the opening of the polls, who among us are prepared to take to the streets and join in any activity to shut this country down through strikes, traffic-jamming protests, public outcry and in-your-face demands of those currently in office?

I would.

If liars and cheaters steal this one - even in appearance until the actual accurate result is confirmed - no voice of moderation from our weak and gutless broadcasters, no voice of moderation from political and moral pundits who ask us to believe an unbelievable truth will justify our sitting still for fraud.

I watched Olberman's opinion last night - another of those brave and bold editorials in the tradition of Murrow - and agree with his final word ...

Vote!

Cross posted from my own blog, Willapa View and to MyDD

© Arthur Ruger 2006