Bush's Coup: The Fall of Democracy in America

The purpose of this article is discuss my views on the recently contested American Presidential election. To be concise and clear, I believe the Unites States of America, the undisputed leader of the free world, is in serious danger of losing its democracy. To me, it seems clear that a group of evil, conspiring men has taken over the Republican party and is likely to soon seize control of the country. While the tone of this article may seem overly dramatic to some, let's call the current events what they really are: a coup.

Before I start discussing specifics, I would like to make a couple of disclaimers. My problem with what is happening in the American Presidential election is not really about who will become President. When it comes to policy, I am far closer to George W. Bush than I am to Al Gore. For example, Gore supports abortion rights, while Bush opposes them. I oppose abortion in all cases, with no exceptions. I believe that since Christ gave his life for us, any woman not prepared to give her life for her child is not fit for the Kingdom of God. Gore opposes school choice (i.e., vouchers), while Bush supports it. I will be home schooling my children and want to spend my tax dollars in my own home and not down the street at the public schools which I will never use. Also, let me make it clear that my issue is not that Al Gore won the popular vote but lost the electoral college. Whether you espouse the election system mandated by our constitution or not, it is clear that the electoral college is the present legal way we elect an American President.

I am concerned with the process, not the platforms or positions. I am a great believer in democracy and the right of the citizens of a country to choose their own leaders. What the leader will do is far less important than whether the leader has been legitimately chosen by the very people over whom he will have power. Even though I may agree with Bush on some positions, I cannot accept him as the leader of this nation unless he actually received the most votes. After examining the evidence and studying the issues, I have no doubt that Gore won the electoral college as well as the popular vote.

To put it simply: it all comes down to Florida. Did more people vote for Gore in Florida or did more people vote for Bush? I don't mean -- did more people intend to vote for Gore? I mean -- out of the people who actually showed up on election day and voted, who got the most votes from legal registered voters? This is how we judge the winner of elections in America. At least, this is how we are supposed to declare winners.

I think it is indisputable that Al Gore had more actual votes cast for him in Florida. [THIS IS A FALSE STATEMENT] The only issue is whether "voting irregularities" have voided (at least for the moment) those votes and therefore deprived American citizens of their right to elect leaders of their own choice. It's important to note that at no time has anyone from the Republican side actually claimed that any substantial portion of the disputed ballots were cast for Bush. Their position is relatively simple: they know the votes were cast for Gore (at least the vast majority of them), they just want to find some way to legally exclude them from the totals. That someone would take this position is absolutely amazing to me.

That American citizens did not have their votes properly recorded and were therefore deprived of their constitutional right is not the only thing that bothers me. In addition to trying to disqualify the votes of American citizens who voted for other candidates, Bush actively tried to intimidate people from voting. His supporters called people and gave them false information about what was required to vote to discourage them from going to the polls. That these calls were made is indisputable. Can we prove that Bush was responsible for them? Perhaps we may never tie him personally to these actions from a legal point of view, but he can be directly tied from a moral perspective.

I believe sins of omission bring one into the collective guilt of those performing evil acts. For example, after World War II, there were many German citizens who claimed they had no knowledge of the death camps or what happened there. Others claimed they knew what happened, but they could not stop it or do anything about it, so they just continued on with their lives. In my view, God morally obligates us to speak out against evil. By not speaking out, those citizens took upon themselves the collective guilt. Likewise, people trying to get Bush elected performed some evil acts. Now that Bush has been made aware of what happened, he has the obligation to speak out against it and offer recompense as far as it is within his power to do so. In my view, his failure to even publicly condemn the acts makes him as guilty as those who performed them.

CNN reports, "James Baker, the balloting observer for Bush, said earlier today that Bush will 'vigorously oppose' the Democratic challenger's recounting efforts." Why is that? Doesn't George Bush want to make sure that every vote is properly counted? After all, we have already seen some problems. The original count in New Mexico gave the state to Gore, but a recount may give it to Bush. Why is the Republican party seriously considering a recount in one state, but will vigorously oppose a recount in another? Either recounts are legitmate election procedures or they are not. The fact is that Republican candidates frequently make use of recount provisions. In fact, several news organizations have even interviewed prominent Republicans who presently hold their public office only because they won a manual recount after losing an initial machine tally. Florida, the state which will decide the election, started with almost 1800 votes separating the candidates. After the recount, we are presently down to 327 (though this number may still change). Bush realizes that if all votes which were actually cast for Gore are counted, he will lose.

ABCNews.com reported on 11/24/00 that Republican party operatives organized protests against counting the ballots in Dade and Broward County, but represented them as spontaneous protests from local citizens. These protests were influential in stopping the Dade County manual recounts. The protestors were most influential as they crashed through the doors and loudly demanded the recounts be ended. This behavior is not a normal and acceptable part of the democractic process. They are protesting the counting of votes! That is a necessary element of democracy. How shall we have the people rule if we do not count the votes indicating the people's will? If we allow some people to prevent others from voting or having their vote be counted our form of government becomes an oligarchy, or more accurately, mobocracy. Mr. Bush has not decried this attack on the basic elements of democracy. He and his campaign had no comment for ABC.

As I watch Bush and his co-conspirators, I am truly sickened by what I see. Bush has tried to declare votes illegal which almost certainly have gone to his opponent. He has accepted the actions of his supporters who made phone calls to discourage potential Gore supporters from voting. He is not concerned with what the voters have said, but only what he thinks they should have said. We can tell this because he has inhibited the counting process and democracy by having his lawyers issue subpeonas to the canvassing board and by threatening the counters that they would be named in his lawsuits. He has no public criticism for the Republican party operatives who successfully intimidated Dade County from finishing the manual recount. All of these actions are appalling and flagrant abuses against democracy. At this point I should mention again that my disgust about this issue comes from the abuse of process by the Republicans and not any great love for Al Gore and the Democratic party, who espouse many views I find repugnant. It's no secret that Latter-day Saints, including myself, almost exclusively vote Republican.

If you are a member of the Church, I would encourage you to rethink very carefully about how you vote in the future. God will hold you accountable for the choices you make. It is common for Latter-day Saints to believe that if we share the same view on abortion or some other issue with someone, then that is what is most important. This is false. When it comes to government, the most important issue is freedom. The LDS Articles of Faith state:

Freedom is the preeminent doctrine of the gospel, more important than any other doctrine including righteousness. Remember, in the Council in Heaven, it was Lucifer's goal to force us to be righteous. It was Heavenly Father's plan that we be allowed to choose between good and evil for ourselves. By his own actions, Heavenly Father told us freedom, even if we would choose wrong, was more important than compelled righteousness. For example, both Heavenly Father and Lucifer proposed that abortions and other murders would be held a serious breech against the commandments of God. The difference between the two plans was that Heavenly Father would allow abortions to happen due to the principles of moral agency, while Lucifer would institute principles depriving us of free will and making abortions impossible.

Over the years, I have seen a growing pattern of corruption, coercion, and hypocrisy enter the Republican party (e.g., McCarthyism, Watergate, Iran-Contra, etc.). Like Lucifer, these people desire to force us to follow their plan. Positions on social platforms such as abortion or same sex marriage are insignificant to the concept of freedom. Think back to the Counsel in Heaven -- what was Lucifer's plan? Follow me, I shall mandate that all shall be righteous and thus be saved. I shall force everyone to obey the commandments of God. While Heavenly Father wants us to obey his commandments, he wants it to be our choice without compulsion. And do the Republicans want us to have free choice? No, they believe that since they are the right choice (at least in their own minds), they should have the ability to enforce those right choices on everyone else.

As I have listened to the rhetoric coming out from the Republican side, I have heard one theme over and over again. George Bush needs to become President because he is the right man and Al Gore is the wrong man. In my view, the right man to become President is the one who received the most votes, regardless of whether I share his philosophy or not. Don't be fooled into thinking that because you share some common views with someone it is acceptable to overthrow democracy and install a despot in its place. The conservative Protestants who control the Republican party would enforce your views on abortion, pornography, and a host of other ills on society, but they would also burn every Book of Mormon and deprive every Latter-day Saint of their rights if they could as well. While this is indeed strong language, one simply has to type in the word Mormons in any search engine and see all the hate and filth that comes up. You would install their despot because he would appoint Supreme Court Justices opposed to abortion, but what will you do when he also decides to destroy our temples?

While I have voted Republican almost exclusively during my lifetime, from this time forward, I will not support a group so transparently disposed to follow Satan. Finally, while many people will readily admit that the conservative Protestants desire to seize control of the country and enforce their theological views on everyone else, they say not all Republicans are part of that sceme. (For those who are not aware of the goals and aims of conservative Protestants, I suggest you attend some of their political meetings. They are very open about their desires to align American laws with their narrow relgious perspectives.) While this may be true, it is also true that over the last twenty years, the conservative Protestant faction has become the most powerful part of the Republican party. Twenty years ago, a number of Republican political leaders expressed concern over the goals and agenda of this group. Today, the vast majority of Republican office holders are beholden to this extremist faction and are afraid to speak out.

I am reminded of a poem by the Reverend Martin Niemöller, a pastor in the German Confessing Church who spent seven years in a concentration camp.

Marcus writes: "Do you think that the black and Hispanic communities, under-educated and poor are not being influenced by propaganda and garbage spewed out by Al Gore representatives? Do not kid yourself brother Walsh. Al Gore is not the man we need to run this country...Made me question your membership and loyalty to the church for a second."

So if I understand your views correctly, you believe that Black and Hispanic people are too poor and uneducated to understand the issues and therefore do not deserve to vote? You believe that the views of the majority should be discounted in favor of the minority who really know what the nation needs? Well, this view explains why the Bush supporters felt the need to intimidate minorities into not voting This is not the first time that I have come across these unrighteous views. I find it more than interesting that your focus is on who you should be President, not who was actually elected. And you close by questioning my loyalty to the Church because I do not support an Evangelical Protestant for President. As far as my views, I believe every American has the right to vote, even the so-called uneducated and poor minorities.

Dan writes: "[The rule of law is paramount]... It is my understanding that the Democrats were rounding up old and poor people by the busloads to the voting stations which is all fine and good, as long as everyone is registered to vote and has the intelligence to find their candidate and properly fill out the ballot."

In all honesty, the tone of your comments tend to make one believe that you don't really believe it's "fine and good" for old, poor people to vote. As far as the rule of law, you should know that it is actually required by law to have simple ballots that are not confusing. And many young, rich, and smart people complained about the ballots as soon as they saw them. Some even asked for help in completing them and were refused. As far as my views, I believe every American has the right to vote, even the so-called old, poor, and stupid ones.

Fred writes: "I would suspect that accusations of Democrats promising homeless persons a pack of cigarettes to vote for Al Gore (an event that occurred in Wisconsin) would be taken as an assault on the poor being unworthy to vote."

First, vote buying is illegal and anyone, Democrat or Republican, who engages in it should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. However, as I heard the story, some people were given cigarettes just to vote regardless for whom they intended to vote. I see a large difference between encouraging someone to exercise their constitutional right to vote, even through inappropriate means such as gift-giving, and making threatening phone calls trying to intimidate people not to vote. It's comparing jaywalking to murder. I think it is very telling that when you step back and look at the bigger picture, the Democrats made very large efforts to get everyone to vote, including the poor, the old, the homeless, and the minorities. On the other hand, the Republicans made every effort to ensure that only the "elite" portion of the community votes. And that brings up the basic question: To which group did Jesus minister?

As a personal aside, I live in a poor neighborhood that includes many minorities. We were contacted several times by the Democratic party and asked to vote. We were even offered a ride to the nearest voting location. Not if we voted for the Democratic ticket. There were no strings attached and I was never even asked for whom I would vote. We were just asked to perform our responsibilities as American citizens. Finally, you try to defend the Bush tactics by referring to accusatoins against the Gore campaign. What does one have to do with another? Accusations of wrongdoing against another person, even if true, do not justify somone else committing a wrong. You ever hear of the old saying that two wrongs don't make a right? That is an expression that has apparantly lost meaning in American Society.

A visitor writes: "The Republicans were just following the law. The votes all had to be counted by a certain deadline."

Actually, that is incorrect. In a unanimous opinion, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that the Secretary of State was wrong in her actions. By law, the recounts had to occur and also be counted. Later, the Supreme Court overruled the Florida in a 5-4 vote. Several imporant points need to be made about that descision. First, the 5 justices who voted for Bush were all Republican appointees. Of the 4 justices who supported the Florida Surpreme Court, 2 were Republican appointees and 2 were Democractic appointees. In a strongly worded minority opinion, one of the justices implied that the descision was nothing more than a political hack job which risked doing great harm to the integrity of the court. Second, even the majority agreed that the Florida Supreme Court had the right to order a recount. Their issue was smply that there was not enough time to do a thorough enough of a job to be "fair." And why was there not enough time? Because as reported by news organizations from the night of the election, the Bush campaign had a carefully orchistrated strategy to drag out all legal proceedings and thus "run out the clock." The only reason Bush was successful is because he had political operatives in all the right places, on both a Federal and State level.

According to the teachings of our Church, it is a religious duty for Latter-day Saints to stand in defense of our Democracy. When the rights of the poor and downtrodden are trampled upon, it is a requirement of our faith to stand up for what is right. If we come to the point where we discount some segments of society, then like the Nephites in the Book of Mormon, we shall fall. It has been the Republican public position that the irregularities seen in Florida are just normal aberrations in the voting process. It seems clear to me that these irregularities seem to be targeted towards certain groups of people (e.g., poor, old, downtrodden, minorities, etc.). Since these people normally vote Democratic, it is no surprise that the Republicans do not want their votes to count.

My position is simple. Count every vote. I don't care if everyone voted Republican. Every American should have the right to have their vote counted, regardless of the color of their skin or their economic condition. For those who would like to pretend that George W. Bush will become President because it was the will of the American People, I think the Sydney Morning Herald, an Australian newspaper, said it best:

Callie writes: "Majority of Americans Think Bush Behaving More Presidential"

It isn't about who is acting more Presidential or who should be President. It's about who received the most votes and therefore should have won the election.

Chris writes: Here in Utah, 65-75% of Utah voted for Bush. 65-75% are LDS here in Utah right now. I think there is a good correlation here

Considering that no political party in America fully supports LDS values and beliefs, your numbers imply that a substantial number of Latter-day Saints have disavowed Church doctrines and accepted the Republican Party mantra in its place. The scriptures make it clear: You cannot serve two masters. Since the Republican party is not 100% aligned with God, anyone who fully supports the Republicans cannot be aligned with God either. (This would be true for any other party as well) Also considering that the Republican party is largely controlled by evangelical Protestants, who are our self-proclaimed eternal enemies, it appears as if a large number of Church members are determined to help build the very gas chambers which are intended to be used on us.

I am an anomaly--a Democrat who is an evangelical Christian, raised in Texas. I so admire your stand about the election. I know how hard it must be for you to face criticism, even from within your own denomination. I am reluctant to even attend church because of the virulent comments I receive from church members. Some even go so far as to question the salvation of anyone who votes Democrat. I think I know how you feel. The other thing I wanted to point out is that I do not believe that the Republican party is Christian at all. They have tricked socially conservative people into believing that their party is all for pro-life, Christian values. Nothing can be further from the truth. I have looked at the money trail in the far-right PACs and have found repeated connections between pro-Nazi and Unification Church (Moonie) front organizations. I have read what Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell have to say, and it is far from supportive of a democracy. I am a Baptist, and have been repeatedly taught at church that all Mormans are non-Christian cult members. I do not agree with the LDS teachings, but I don't believe its membership is out practicing mind control as groups such as Moon's do. Rest assured, Mr. Walsh, no matter what the Religious Right tells your church, it will NOT be included in the favored "Christian" grouping. Even the Catholic church is only accorded fringe status with them. I am a Democrat because I believe that the party, with all of its warts, comes closer to the teachings of Jesus than the Republicans. The Republican party seems to have been taken over by fascists, which scares me. I am writing to tell you that I will be proud to stand up for your rights as an American (who happens to be a LDS member) against any attack from the Right on your religion. Please save my e-mail address and if that sad day should come, I will stand ready to defend you and those of your denomination against any attacks. Thank you for your time.

Mr. Walsh,

I stumbled across your site and thoroughly enjoyed reading you view of the presidential mess.

I too find it very disturbing that Gov. Bush and his team did everything possible to prevent counting all of the votes in Florida.

I also find it refreshing when someone from a religious tradition can talk about politics without resorting to the posturing of the religious right. Your take on the situation was genuine and truly spiritual in nature. So much of the rhetoric coming out of the republican party under the guise of religion is very hateful. I'm no Bible scholar, but didn't Jesus declare the love was more important than any part of the law?

Personally, I am a Unitarian Universalist. Our belief also cherishes freedom. We too have been persecuted by mainstream Christians at various times in our history.

Thanks for finding a sane, loving look at our current situation.

Grant Hamill

Sir,

Although I consider myself a Democrat through and through and not a particularly religious man, I commend and applaud your essay "Bush's Coup". All along the contest period, Al Gore and his fellow Democrats, myself included, had pledged to accept the results of a recount of the votes *regardless* of who might win. Now that the Republicans have strongarmed their way into power, I can in no way acknowledge Mr. Bush as my president. In any case, your essay shows you to be a level-headed, thoughtful man not afraid to speak in the face of possible opposition from his own people.

I wish you the best,
Tuan Nguyen

Dear John,

I applaud your sound reasoning and political maturity in the article about the Bush coup, as well as the courage to publish it in a forum where Bush supporters are to be found in large numbers.

Although we are leagues apart in our thinking on social issues, we both recognize that we cannot impose our vision of society against the will of the majority. You and I share the same patch of earth, and our democracy is intended to produce a government that facilitates living together as neighbors: one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all. Yet that's what precisely has been assaulted--fatally, I fear.

I too am horrified by what I have just witnessed. It is up to all of us to keep speaking out, and not let the matter die.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Cortell

John, I just read your article on the election. As an active LDS Democrat it was great to see your thoughts in print. I agree that the co-opting of the Republican party by the "religious" right is what we need to be careful about. The win at all costs mentality of this election shows that democracy is indeed in jeopardy.

While my personal beliefs about abortion and school vouchers do not parallel yours in that I believe choice is the ultimate free agency issue and public schools are a right for all those same minorities and under-trodden you discuss in your article. We should make them better for the public good and our future and I oppose vouchers for this reason.

I hope to explore your site in more detail and appreciate what you are doing. I was turned on to your article in a left wing chat room so the word is getting out. Keep it up.

In our article about the recent election process, you state...

"Freedom is the preeminent doctrine of the gospel, more important than any other doctrine including righteousness. Remember, in the Council in Heaven, it was Lucifer's goal to force us to be righteous. It was Heavenly Father's plan that we be allowed to choose between good and evil for ourselves. By his own actions, Heavenly Father told us freedom, even if we would choose wrong, was more important than compelled righteousness."

I want to congratulate you for taking such a bold stand against the Republican party...

I am a Democrat from a family of mixed Democrats and Republicans and have felt strongly for quite some time, nearly two decades, that the Republican party as it once was has been hijacked by the thugs and pretenders who now
run it.

Please don't construe what I say as somehow leaving the Democratic party blameless or innocent.

I feel the difference between the two parties lies less in issues, such as abortion or school prayer, and more with the way the parties approach us, the people.

I pray more Republicans of Conscience surface in the days to come, otherwise we might be in for some real darkness in the land and of the soul.

Thank you for your forthright comments.

Best regards,
Glenn Connell

Brother Walsh,

I was rather stunned at your editorial (I guess because I'm a Florida member of the church and I'm used to having my opinion trashed by the conservative Republican members here.) This is the first time I've ever heard a church member speak on the subject with such clarity--to me, you've brought out the truth that I worried has been obscured, and by the self-professed righteous, no less. You are so right about freedom, and how certain candidates would curtail ours in a heart-beat if they are given an inch of authority. Your editorial strengthened my testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel by a mile.

Jennifer Fuller

John,
I just read through part of your web site and like it very much. You have done a lot of work on the subjects you cover and I appreciate it. I'm an active Latter-day Saint. Regarding the "Bush's Coup, the fall of democracy in America." I totally agree with you. This election tore me more than any other. I supported Gore's environmental pledges but strongly rejected and disagreed with his abortion stance and gay rights(gay acceptance, special gay privileges). And strongly rejected Gore's (looking the other way) and full support of Clinton during the Monica scandal. I strongly disagree with Bush's environmental record and his lame political rhetoric which has no conviction. I have voted Republican all my life simply because I haven't been able to agree with most of the Democrat's views. But, I very reluctantly voted for George W. And I doubt I would vote for him again. I see an obvious need for a third political party ran by good LDS people and those friendly with our beliefs, I just don't know if it would get the needed support. So I, along with many others are wondering what to do.

Our democracy is in serious threat and the Constitution is being ignored more every day. I can see the coming years for America and the world are going to be disastrous, with the economy, moral decay and widespread violence. It's becoming more and more obvious that we need to cling to each other for strength and listen closely to our Prophets direction.

Thank you for speaking your heart and for addressing what so many of us feel but aren't able to put into words. I was raised in the Protestant faith but also in the faith of and belief in our Democracy. My faith in the latter has been shaken to the point of fear for our country. This goes way beyond politics and I think you have hit the nail on the head about matters of choice. Please add me to your mailing list. I find I don't know near enough about the Morman church and am attracted to learn more after this encounter with a man with the level of faith and committment to truth and justice that you exhibit.

God bless you and your efforts to shed light on evil, follow your beliefs and save our country.

I want to thank you for your article on the frightening behavior of the Republican party during the recent presidential election. I too, believe our democracy has been challenged by the suppression of legal votes. I too am concerned with the increasingly vitriolic and hateful actions and comments I hear from those influenced by the religious right and it's insidious connection with the Republican party. And finally, I believe our world is in the hands of a God bigger than any hateful political rhetoric or power hungry few who are blind to our unity in the spiritual world. I call on all people of integrity of any political persuasion or religious belief to examine themselves. I believe our moral integrity has been compromised if we who recognize the truth of what is happening in our country do not speak out. God has given us the freedom to choose. Do we want a county governed by the people, in the love of God, or do we want one usurped by the dark forces?

I just wanted to mention that I came across a link to your article of 11/10/00, and though even though I was raised a very conservative Baptist (no longer practicing) and have heard much maligning of the Mormons-I was greatly moved by your commitment to freewill, choice and freedom in the face of much probable opposition. Your very well defined stance on the issues and upholding of the truth in your rebuttles is a credit to your faith and intellect. I am currently reading other things on mormons.org because of your unwillingness to lie down and receive the "positive-republican" outcome, it is a testament to true belief in a greater power.

Dear John,

A friend sent a copy of your article about the coup that took the election of the president out of the hands of the voters.

While you and I are not in agreement on many things, we are on this: the future of our country is in peril, when we allow people to take an election by intimidation and bullying.

One of the things that has puzzled and saddened me, over the past few years, is the increasingly strident and nasty tone to the rhetoric of the right wing of your party.

All through the fiasco in Florida, I could not understand how people who identified themselves as Christian could say such cruel and heartless things about the voters there.

When my husband came home from work, telling me some of the things that people there had said, I gave him information that had been published on the websites of mainstream sources; the New York Times, ABC News. But I also said one other thing: I asked him to tell those who were mocking the voters in PBC to show some compassion. Compassion for old people who don't see well, and whose hands, perhaps, are shaky with age.

Compassion for immigrants, whose citizenship was so hard won, but whose command of written instructions in this language is less than perfect, and who, perhaps, may be voting in the first election of their lives.

And all of these, with no help, and with hostile election workers, who refused them the aid that they are, by law, entitled to, and the new ballots they requested, for those who realized that they had made an error.

Thank you for following your conscience. It is unfortunate that the loudest of your compatriots do not.

Micki Dukinfield

Dear John, (if you are Walsh),

I've worked for Mormons and though I don't understand or ascribe to your beliefs, I've found Mormons to be extraordinarily civilized, polite, and essentially decent people- probably as a result of the terrible discrimination you've suffered. Your "family" TV commercials are the only things on TV that I would describe as religious- they actually choke me up, and I've produced ads.

In this sordid election saga, I waited for Republicans of character, of integrity, to say, "Stop, wait a minute, this isn't right", but there were none. Instead one after another "moderate" Republicans- Dole , Whitman, came forward and repeated the monstrous central lie: that the votes couldn't be hand counted because people couldn't be trusted (though they managed quite well for 200 years). Not one had a bedrock faith and belief in the principles of American democracy. When I played
neighborhood baseball, and my teammate was out, I ruled him out. I was the authority, I was the umpire, and if justice wasn't delivered from me, it wasn't delivered. And if it wasn't, the purity of the game, the fundamental beauty and joy were corrupted.. and soon nobody would show up. Election officials manditorily are selected from the major Parties- it's a balance of power idea, but also a faith in people's and their party's public integrity.

In this election, every authority (that was republican) was corrupted: Katherine Harris, who sent supervisors "advisories" that they shouldn't count the votes (against state law), every republican elected official that repeated this central lie, the Bushmen, who schemed endlessly to delay the count, and the Supreme Court, who cobbled together an opinion that's such nonsense that if it was actually applied- EVERY ELECTION IN US HISTORY WOULD BE INVALID. And Clarence Thomas went before schoolchildren the next day to proclaim that "politics plays no part" in their decisions. Shouldn't bolts of lightning be appearing then? (They may have, if you tally Bush's boil, Cheney's heart attack, daughter's appendectomy- it certainly seems SOMEONE is outraged at their hubris).

Thanks for being a sane voice in the conservative wilderness. I think you're right- the Bush people's religious orthodoxy doesn't extend to a small sect like yours- you may also feel the heat of their overweaning arrogance and contempt.

For John Walsh,

I applaud your piece on the election: Bush's Coup: The Fall of Democracy in America. I could not agree with you more. Personally, both these candidates disgusted me but what took paramount importance in terms of our democracy was how we elected one of these morons rather than who was elected. That process was thoroughly disgraced. Check out my website, especially if you want more facts and information about Florida election law. I think you would find some enlightening, useful, and even surprising information.

http://www.geocities.com/floridavotecount/index.html

Alan

Thank you very much for saving me from myself. I was really starting to get fed up with Mormons (Orrin Hatch is in serious need of mental health assistance), and the refusal of modern Republicans to see what happened in the last election just floored me. I'm not proud to say this, but you guys were guilty by association and the claws were coming out.

The day after the election, when I thought Bush had won fair and square, I was ready to deal with it. But never now. I'm as far to the left as you are to the right* and I just can't lose this way, especially in light of how nasty this country has become both at home and abroad. It's really sad how our leadership actually thinks the Europeans and Chinese will sit idly by and let us do whatever we want. I warn people that now's an excellent time to behave responsibly. In thirty years they'll both be more powerful than us and they both have very long memories. If there's ever a real chance of building a foundation of respect, and even love, among our three great civilizations it's now or never.

It's always important, especially in critical times like these, to remember the humanity of your opposition. Your essay is a real victory. Keep up the good work.

Bill Krapek

I read your article about the "Bush Coup" tonight and wanted to thank you for presenting such a thoughtful and objective viewpoint. Although I am a Democrat and a practicing Catholic, I was very troubled by many of the actions and events you mentioned in your essay. As the Florida fiascoe unfolded, a quote attributed to Christ kept coming to mind, "When you do to the least of my brethren, you do to me."

I just wanted to applaud your courage and honesty. While we may be political opponents, I believe you to be honorable and worthy one with valuable insights and a different point of view.

I believe it would now be impossible for Bush to take the oath of office without committing perjury -- he's already failed to defend the Constitution's equal protection amendment and he's promised to weaken the separation of Church and State.

I am mailing Congressmen and Senators asking them to challenge the Florida electors on Jan 6th. At least the House of Representatives is elected, that makes it preferable to the Supreme Court, even if the result is the same. And I do hope there are enough honest Republicans like you, that perhaps there is even a small chance that the person the people wanted will be our President. I don't know what else to do.

It is good to know there is still strength in the Republican party. I wish you all speed and best luck in recapturing control of the party before it is damaged further. I think the Democrats in the Senate would be willing to work with a coalition of such Republicans.

Dear Mr. Walsh, I appreciated your clarity in the essay, "Bush's Coup." I find it very alarming to see democracy be so blatantly disregarded. As a former Independent, I will never again vote Republican, even in races where I formerly would have. This is because I feel it important to strengthen the Democrats. I believe that we must be courageous in challenging what has happened, raising our voices whether others around us agree or not. Thank you for having done so.

As I read the opinion of John Walsh on the recent election I sat in tears. I am a liberal, This man has so eloquently voiced my opinion of everything from the coup, to the pro-life hypocricy (if you believe it is murder then please do not kill them only because you don't approve of the way they were concieved) to the poem at the end about speaking out that I am printing it to put in my records for the history that will pass from my generation to each succeeding generation in my family. While our politics are radically different our understanding of what gives us the freedom to have them is the same. Had it happened the other way around I would like to think I could have written something one tenth as wonderful. I am a spiritual person with a deep faith in the spirit that is life.

I want to thank you for having the courage to stand up against what has to do America's darkest day.

I am a Christian, yet in the process of picking and choosing which party I support, I choose the Democrats, not because I agree with them on all the issues, but because they are the party who seems to care about people as Jesus did.

I have long seen Republicans as a cold-blooded money loving party who is only interested in political power, not the welfare of America. We must give them credit for putting together various coalitions, such as the anti-abortion group, the pro guns group, and other organization which help a small core group of powerful elitist to make any promise required to get into power.

I too feel this is possibly the end of democarcy as we know it unless the injustice is not allowed to stand. So I salute your courage and hope you will keep on fighitng against this evil corrupt act.

Living in a small remote community, I turned to the internet to understand what happened to the breakdown of democracy in Florida. The more one looks into this story, the more alarming the scenerio becomes. The American people are thinking and believing what the media is telling them to think and believe. Although I was not a Gore supported, I have learned that he believes God has a purpose and does not question what happened in Florida. That attitude struck me as much more spiritual than those who would call honest people "liars" and "thieves" while they tried to count votes. The media was wrong when they referred to vote counting as a constitutional crisis; the constitutional crisis will occurr on January 20 when America will turn its collective back on the truth by turning over power to an unelected President. It should be noted here that an accounting firm doing an "unoffical" recount has recently shown Mr. Gore to have more votes. Yes, I am afraid of what the appointment of Christian Reconstructionists will mean to those of us of other Christian faiths. Thank you so much for speaking out. The silence of so many who know better is drowning out the truth.

Refarding your editorial: Thank you. For your courage. For your faith. I know there are good people who supported Bush, no matter what it seemed he would do--my own mother is one, and she has seemed to lose all perspective as a Christian in her hate for the Clintons, and feel that anything was "fair" as long as Bush was made president. It gives me faith again in what she herself taught me as a child to find it preserved in a man like you.

This is just a note of appreciation for your commentary called "The Bush Coup." To be perfectly honest, I have generally held a prejudice against Mormons thinking that they were absolutely close-minded. Clearly, I was wrong.

Hopefully, your reflections will receive wider distribution than it has to date, not merely because it may open up the eyes of some of your brethren in the Mormon Church, but because it may open the eyes of "good liberals" like myself, who would otherwise dismiss the opinions of people like yourself based on irrational prejudices.

I just about cried after reading your piece on the 'election'. Your words and thoughts are noble indeed. It does my heart good (my broken heart) to see people standing up for their comittment to democracy. Your quotation of the poem about NAZI Germany spoke to me as well, being that I am Jewish.

I am a 41 year old father of 2, and my family is the center of my life. I have long admired the LDS for its comittment to family, and I share this in spades.

God bless you and yours, and have a happy healthy safe new year, in the knowledge that our nation is bigger than partisan politics no matter what the media may say. You know it and I know it. Voices will be raised, and will not be silenced.

I am a Democrat not a Republican. I can count on a single hand the number of times I've ever voted for a Republican. I am not Morman nor in fact an active member of any organized religion. And I disagree with your stated positions on two of the most controversial issues of our time, abortion and homosexuality. I would not expect to find that you and I agree on much of anything and certainly not anything of significance. But after reading your editorial, "Bush's Coup: The Fall of Democracy in America," I was startled to find that they are areas of fundamental principle, beyond the fiasco of this recent presidential election, where we agree:

I agree with you that the "...sins of omission bring one into the collective guilt of those performing evil acts..." and view it as a moral imperative to refuse to silently acquiesce to evil.

And I agree with you that the fundamental flaw and insidious evil of the far right in the Republican party is that "...they should have the ability to enforce those right choices on everyone else."

I applaud your bravery in speaking out on what is evidently an unpopular position in your community and hope you will be encouraged to continue.

I found your article concerning the Bush's Coup: The Fall of Democracy in America so thought provoking. You put my exact thoughts into a written format. As a voter in Florida, I saw firsthand the tactics used by Republicans to gain access to the White House. I'm not necessarily a Vice President Gore supporter, but I believe every person legally registered to vote regardless of status, race, or income should be encouraged to vote--not prevented from voting--and having that vote counted.

I hope our Republic can withstand the next four years. My question is "Why did the Bush family have to have the White House at any cost"?

Let me start by giving you a little background on my family. My wife (who was Jewish; her parents being Lubovich and sat shiva for her and considered her dead) converted in 1992. I was raised Catholic and converted a year later. We were endowed in October 1994 and sealed in the Dallas Temple on our 5th wedding anniversary in Feb. 1995. We both have held numerous callings in the Church including as Stake Missionaries in the inner-city of Houston, Texas, where I served in the branch presidency (among other callings).

We have moved to Southern Utah in March of 2000. I am a "recovering" litigation attorney and law professor. I say "recovering" because litigation is addictive and I am kicking the habit.

To be honest, the lack of diversity, the cultural close-mindedness, the politics from the pulpit, have come as a shock to two converts from the mission field. Not to say we weren't warned, however. In fact, my wife's testimony has been strained by what we have seen.

In our home ward in Houston (we lived in a very bohemian neighborhood) we had several people with alternative lifestyles, yet they lived the law of chastity and were welcome members of the ward. I had some on my home teaching list. They just had a tough battle to fight and were willing to do so. I shudder to think how they would be treated in a ward here.

Our first Sunday school lesson here was supposed to be on 2 Nephi 26-28, a wonderful lesson I had taught 2 weeks before. Except here it was on 'isms' (communism, socialism, humanism), right out of Rush Limbaugh. The instructor said we should teach religion in schools and she had a few "valiant friends who did so anyway even though it was illegal." Before my wife and I walked out with several others, we pointed out that where we came from Mormons were cultists and devil worshipers (as you also refer in your article) and if religion was taught in schools, it would be southern baptists and mormons are going to hell. In fact, the case to stop prayer at school sporting events was from a town near Houston (Santa Fe) and was brought by an LDS family and a Catholic family because they felt they were being discrimintated against.

My wife and I were not products of full time missionaries, but the good works of good member friends of ours. One of which is a bishop in Phoenix that I have known for over 20 years from the military. To this day, he and I discuss politics together; although, we are from opposing sides of the political spectrum. He told me when I joined the Church that it was true, "the people are goofy." Fortunaly, that helps me maintain my testimony.

I am on one of his lists that is predominantly LDS and right wing republican. I got this email from my friend saying basically that democrats should have voted for impeachment of Pres. Clinton if they wanted Gore president. I sent a reply that was very similar to your post (although I just received it today from a liberal list I am on). I also included 2 Nephi 28 (I think 18, I don't have my scriptures) wherein it says we can dig a pit, lie a little, etc. and God will beat us with a few stripes..... to support my position that the ends do not justify the means and some good republicans are uneasy if not outraged by what happened.

You would not believe the vile replies I received from good, temple-recommend holding members. They were so virulent that my friend had to post a public apology to me for their statements.

Recently, a republican running for some office in northern Utah stated that one could not be a good member of the Church and be a Democrat. The Church quickly issued a statement to the contrary. On my first temple recommend interview here, I half-jokingly responded to the question about affiliating with organizations with beliefs contrary to the Church that I am a Democrat and a member of the American Bar Association. I am beginning to wonder if in Utah, that precludes a temple recommend (although I am the Temple Committee Chair in Elders Quorum in addition to my wife and I being primary teachers. Gosh, I hope they don't find out two Democrats are brainwashing their children.)

My experience as a law professor, joined with my relationships with journalists and members of the Democratic party (I authored some of the debate points for Gore in the 3rd debate), have given me a great deal of information, including affidavits, on the illegalities, fraud, intimidations, violations of the voting rights act, direct conflicts of interest by members of the US Supreme Court, and a number of other "irregularities" in Florida and elsewhere. I was an intelligence officer in the military and this has all of the markings of a CIA-type operation to rig an election.

I had a radical right wing jack Mormon (he has to look left to see Rush Limbaugh) send me an email about Ether Chapter 8 "secret combinations" and how that applied to Gore (he thought Gore would win). I informed him about the Bushes' membership in the Brotherhood of Death (Skull & Bones Society) at Yale and how I was more concerned about that secret combination for murder and wealth.

By no means do I hold myself out as a seer to apply the Book of Mormon (BOM) to anything outside my life; however, I know the BOM was written for us in our time. I also know that secret combinations were at work to circumvent the will of the electorate in the nation and in Florida.

I have also been troubled by the issue of most Mormons and Southern Baptists having been Democrat until that party pushed the civil rights platform; whereupon, the conservative religious groups became Republican.

This is a very long way of saying thank you for your article. Thank you for helping bolster my testimony that truth has nothing to to with politics, even among members of the Church. That was a lot easier to remember in the mission field.

Dear Mr. Walsh:

I am writing to commend you on your powerful and well-written editorial about the Bush election debacle.

I suspect we are leagues apart when it comes to politics; I would describe myself as progressive liberatarian, and I nearly always vote Democrat. Nonetheless, there are many Republicans I admire and respect, even those with whom I do not agree, because I see them as people of integrity. I name John McCain and Barry Goldwater as two examples.

I think it took real courage to write your article, given that nearly all of your Mormon brethren are Republicans and thus would probably support GW Bush.

I am glad that a religious conservative realizes the damage that is being done to the institution of American democracy, even if it's done by someone who agrees with most of their beliefs. I suspect that, as a Mormon rather than mainline Protestant, you are more sympathetic to those who may be persecuted for their beliefs, since the Mormons have such a long and tragic history of being savagely persecuted.

Finally, your site looks interesting. I may write you in the future when I've had a chance to read in more detail about the Mormon faith; it has always interested me on an intellectual, if not religious level.

I wish you all the best.

Kindest regards,
Tim Ward

Bush's Coup: The Fall of Democracy in America

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