HEAR!HEAR!

Selon la Demcracie. Et puis la population dirige le gouvernement dans une
Democracie. Les Jows et les samates vont m'en envoyer de joie. En attendant,
nous acceptons que: A people educated in the laws that govern them, free
from racism and classism, will more readily appreciate the virtues of their
Democracy.


>From: Yusupha Jow <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: US Election Card
>Date: Sun, 12 Nov 2000 17:59:29 EST
>
>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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