And nothing infuriates me more than those who say,” Get over it!”, as if the stolen election had no real consequence – that it’s just politics as usual in America.
I would like these same people to tell the families who have lost a family member to the war in Iraq to “Get over it!”; those 10,000 and growing number of soldiers with limbs blown away, faces burned away, and injuries they and their families will suffer for the rest of their lives. Tell them to “Get over it!”
Al Gore himself and others have clearly stated prior to the Bush War in Iraq that they would never have invaded Iraq without just cause, that Iraq posed no serious threat to the US.
Iraq was contained. Strict sanctions were in place. We had daily fly-overs by our fighter aircraft. Iraq’s weapons supplies and parts had been successfully denied them, their military was in shambles, no aircraft, no missiles or armored force to speak of, and what they did have was old, falling apart and broken down for lack of parts.
Saddam was no longer a threat to any of his neighbors as a result of UN sanctions but was fearful of his arch-enemy Iran, so he pretended to have weapons of mass destruction as a deterrent to Iran. We knew this. International weapons inspectors verified this over and over.
Al-Qaida was Saddam’s enemy as well. They hated him and he loathed them in return. There was no haven for Al-Qaida in Iraq.
Gore and others understood the many implications, the foremost being rival religious and ethnic factions, and that deposing Saddam could open a hornet’s nest in the middle-east. Bush and his handlers ignored this and acted recklessly and criminally by preemptively invading this sovereign nation with no plan or regard for the repercussions. Gore wouldn’t have done this and as a result the middle–east today would be strikingly different had he become president – as would the United States.
I would also like these Bush supporters to tell the people of New Orleans who lost family members, their homes and everything they owned to “Get over it!”
Hundreds of millions of dollars meant to aid these victims and restore New Orleans was mismanaged and lost to fraud and criminal contractors. Billions upon billions more of taxpayer’s dollars have passed through the Iraq war and ended up in the bank accounts of American and foreign war profiteers including the bank accounts of the Bush and Cheney families. Only a fraction of that money could have reestablished New Orleans families, their homes and neighborhoods that were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. A small fraction of the money spent rebuilding Iraq could have provided safe levees and hurricane surge protection against future storms. Jobs could have been created and people’s dignity restored.
Where is America’s pride that we would turn our backs on one of this nation’s most unique cultures and one of its largest and most historic cities, allowing it to lay in ruins as our nation’s wealth is siphoned off by corporate pirates and war profiteers? What must other nations think of America as they watch what happens here?
And consider those who lost a family member to the terrorist attack of 9/11, would you tell them to “get over it”?
Yes, even that tragedy may have been prevented had the 2000 election not been stolen from Al Gore.
In 1996, as a result of the TWA Flight 800 crash, President Clinton created a commission under Vice President Al Gore to report on shortcomings in aviation security in the United States. The Gore Commission's report thoroughly canvassed available expertise in and outside of government regarding aircraft safety and the terrorist threat. While the report did not directly address the issue of suicide hijackings or the use of aircraft as weapons, it did address the issue of hijackings in general and lax screening of passengers and what they carried onto planes. It also recommended more study of aircraft and airport security and that action plans be developed.
If Gore had become president those recommendations would have been put into action and it is quite possible 9/11 might never have occurred. But instead, Gore’s report was vigorously fought by the airline industry, and it was ridiculed and cast aside by the Republican controlled congress. It would cost too much to establish the report's safety and security recommendations they argued. Once again the corporate profit-mongers and their bought and paid for congressional puppets shortchanged the American public for profit and gain and lives were lost and destroyed.
Those are just several ways in which America could have benefited from the rightfully elected man taking office. The others are too many to elaborate here. Just imagine.
I will never “get over it” – this twist of fate – this crime against the American people and the people of other nations. If only Ralph Nader had stepped aside. Not only was his campaign failing miserably, he couldn’t even reach the 5% level of votes that would have allowed him to share in public campaign check-off funds. There was no other reason for him to stay in the race – none! He was warned that he could tip the race to Bush but he stubbornly refused to give in.
During the 2000 campaign Ralph Nader said there wasn't a dime's difference between Al Gore and George W Bush. What supremely faulty judgement for a man who wanted to lead this nation. And prior to the election Nader attempted to defend his stubbornness by stating that suffering through four years of George W Bush might be good for this nation, that we needed a wake-up call, but even Ralph couldn’t have imagined this train wreck.
I will never forgive Ralph. This one act of stubbornness and pride has wiped out all the self-sacrifice and good he has done in years past. Ralph’s previous hero status has been burned away by all the damage Bush has done to this nation and to the world we live in.
I admit I’m not big enough to forgive Ralph but there is someone who is big enough – the very person whose election Nader helped sidetrack - Al Gore.
The following was reported by Dana Milbank in the Washington Post, June 16th 2006
During Gore’s book tour last summer, Gore was signing books at Olsson's book shop in Washington, DC.
"I'm not supposed to say anything, just sign books," Gore announced when he started. But when he got to number 214 in the line, he noticed the lanky figure offering his book to be signed and stood up. "Nice to see you! How you doing? . . . I'm really so grateful to you for coming by."
After more pleasantries, Gore scribbled a line in the book: "For my friend, Ralph Nader. With respect, Al Gore."
Nader was smitten. "He's liberated!" Nader said. "He's defining what progressive Democrats should be about."
Had they reached such a rapport six years ago, Gore might have won the election in 2000, as two men in line reminded Nader. "Thanks to you, we had Bush all these years," said one. "How many are dead in Iraq because of that?"
Damn! I guess I’m not so liberated that I can forgive Ralph that easily.
The world is in too much disarray, the environment has suffered too much, too much blood has been spilled, too many families destroyed, too many laws have been broken, too much damage to America’s constitution and to its reputation around the world, too much corruption has been allowed and too much of America’s wealth has been stolen.
I respect Al Gore for having the grace and strength of character to get beyond what happened in 2000, for his compassion and his wisdom, for his passion for protecting the world’s environment, and for setting examples for people like me and you to follow. But I don’t think Al’s really over it – I think he accepted it and is using it as energy to drive himself and his visions forward.
Maybe Al is fully liberated as Nader suggests. If that’s the case I would love to see Al Gore use his power to liberate the rest of us from the tyranny of the likes of Bush and company.
If Al Gore were to run in 2008 maybe then I could forgive Ralph Nader - but forget? I don’t think that’s possible. The scars are too deep.
