Saiks:
I would first like to rebut your assertion that Mumia Abu Jamal's death
sentence and the failings of the American democratic system are somehow
linked.  In the instance of Jamal, one has to look at the evidence and
motives presented in this case exclusively before making this connection.  In
an attempt to separate the two, a different email under a different cover
will deal with Jamal's issue.

Democracy is a conceptual system that a Greek scholar defined a long time
ago. No country in the World today practices it in it's purest form today,
but the goal of those countries practicing this system is to get as close to
it's basic tenets as possible:

1. An open parliamentary system at every level that consists of officials
elected by the collective majority of the people.

2.  A fair, open system that respects the rights of human beings and allows
them to collectively influence the political system.

Before one can conclusively condemn the system here as undemocratic, one
should be able to prove that the US does not more than adequately fulfill
these basic tenets of the system

The mechanism that allows citizens to be elected as lawmakers at the various
national and state levels is open, fair and transparent.  Aside from the
presidential election, where the electoral college system is used to
determine the victor, the rest of the races are decided by who wins the
popular vote.

Even the electoral college system that decides the presidential race was
designed to reflect the outcome of the popular vote.  Relative to it's
population compared to others, each state is allocated a certain number of
electoral votes.  For example, California, with one of the largest
populations in the country, is represented by 54 electoral votes Similarly,
Michigan, another highly populated region, is allocated 25 votes. To win an
election and the majority, a presidential candidate needs 270 votes,


At the time this system was put into place, the manner by which electoral
votes were designated electoral votes was an accurate reflection of the
demographics of this country.  However, population concentrations have
changed and the presidential electoral system has not been revised to reflect
this change and thus maybe outlived it's usefulness.  This is a probable
reason for the discrepancy between electoral vote and popular vote, not
because the voting system is inherently unfair or biased.  The electoral
system has served it's purpose accurately for over a hundred years and,
though it seems to have failed the test this time, there is definitely a case
to be made in it's defense.

As you pointed out, there are other factors that corrupt the electoral
process such as big business and the media.  But contrary to your assertion,
big businesses do not get granted a free ride based on their contributions.
Their willingness to contribute towards a particular campaign is dictated by
the issues/reforms proposed by each candidate.  There are also checks and
balances that ensure that big companies are not given free rides in that the
president is not the decision maker.  The senate and congress are a big part
of the decision making process.  Segments of the population are also given
leverage to agitate and thus challenge the senators that illegally comply
with the wishes of big business.  Laws are also in place to prevent these
type of things from happening.

In regard to the influence of the media on the voting process, it happens
everywhere and this country is no exception.  The influence of the media is
more pronounced here because some of the most established and powerful
broadcasting companies exist here.

It is testament to the fairness of the American democratic system that a
comprehensive recount is being done today in Florida with no stone being left
unturned.  Furthermore, the effectiveness of the electoral system is being
questioned.  Campaign finance reforms are also being discussed.  The system
is open and transparent enough for the voting system to be scrutinized.
Openness and transparency are crucial aspects of a democratic system.


The opportunities, freedom and potential for self achievement provided by
this system adequately fulfill the democratic ideal in this regard.  This
country gives it's citizens more opportunities to grow and advance than most
other places in the World.  Most are offered the adequate opportunity for an
education, jobs and self advancement.  The system is not perfect and
inequalities to do exist but, despite the horrible wrongs of the past, laws
have been put into place that ensure that people are given equal opportunity
regardless of race, color, gender, size or creed.

Like you have, many people point to the judiciary system as one of the big
failings of the American democratic system.  Yes, there is a disproportionate
amount of African Americans on death row and in prison, several million in
fact. But, before blaming the judiciary system, there are many factors that
one has to take into account.  In particular, the economic disparities caused
by a legacy of slavery and racial discrimination are reasons why so many
African-Americans turned to crime, not because the judiciary system imprisons
unfairly all the time. Despite being labeled as undemocratic, programs such
as affirmative actions and quotas have been put into place in an attempt to
narrow these disparities.  Occasionally there are travesties like in the
cases of Amadou Jallow, OJ Simpson, and Rodney King. But, while far from
perfect, the judicial system works quite well in upholding the laws and
protecting the residents and citizens of this country.

Most importantly, every person and group is given the right to free speech
and mobilization.  From individuals to labor groups to action groups,
everyone is given a right to seek redress for causes they perceive unjust.
Mass movements have been responsible for crucial changes. Policies and laws
have been overturned because of mass movement.  The civil rights, women's
voting right and the anti-Vietnam movement all achieved their final
objectives after massive mobilizations.  These type of mobilizations not only
happen at the national level, but all the way down to local levels.  The
ability of people to mobilize for change is also a crucial aspect of
democracy.

The definition of democracy is much more extensive than the narrow
constraints it is sometimes reduced to.  In order to accurately make a
sweeping determination that this or that system is undemocratic, one has to
take the whole range of what comprises democracy into account.  In the final
analysis, this system is a conceptual one that is neither absolute or perfect
in any given setting.

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