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strong><font color="#0000FF" size="3" face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif">Rant of the week: November 17, 2004</font></font></strong></sup></p>
<P><font face="Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif, Verdana" size="2">I personally was in the trenches in Racine, Wisconsin on November 2, driving
people to the polls and doing my part to turn out the vote. </B></font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif, Verdana">What a day! I met volunteers from all over the United
States, and representatives from nearly fifty progressive
organizations. There were good people from California, New Jersey, classy
Southern Belles from Texas, Washington D.C., Iowa and my own Illinois,
all gathered together at Union Hall to defeat George W. Bush. These people
had taken time away from their jobs, their families and their lives in
order to ensure that decency would return again to the United
States. Their passion for democracy and love for this
nation was beautiful and inspiring. I wish you could have all been there
to see it. </font></p>
<P><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif, Verdana">Throughout that day, we met and talked with the everyday people of this
working class town. The faces of Racine were young and old, black, white
and every shade of brown. They were Christian, Muslim, <span class=GramE>Hindi</span>,
Jewish and just about every faith of God. They were the faces of my America.
And although the people of Racine were the essence of diversity, on every
face I saw the <i>same</i> determination. These good folks were making a
point of voting, many of them for the first time in years. Nothing was going
to stand in their way. No one was going to decide <i>anything</i> without <i>their</i> voice
being heard.</font></P>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif, Verdana">It was an amazing experience. Throughout the day, turnout was
tremendous and spirits were high. As darkness fell, we dared
to hope. The exit polls hinted that John Kerry was walking away
with the election. At 8:30 pm, I left my fellow patriots at the
Union hall and headed home to my wife and family, wrapped in
warm feelings of solidarity, good will and the knowledge that
I had done all I could. </font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif, Verdana">But as I drove south on Interstate 94, the word from Public
Radio began to sound dark. Our efforts in Wisconsin were paying
off as Kerry locked up the Badger State, but far too many states
were glowing crimson. By the time I went to bed that night, my
hope was on life support. </font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif, Verdana">Driving
my wife to her job downtown the next day, there was a pall
hanging over Chicago. I had not seen such mass dejection since
that awful morning-after of September 12, 2001. People were
in disbelief. Stopped in traffic, I saw actual tears on the
faces of some of my fellow motorists. I’m not ashamed
to admit I shed a few of my own. I think the sun was shining
that day, but I don’t remember my beautiful city ever looking
so drab and colorless. </font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif, Verdana">That was two weeks ago already. Life goes on. </font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif, Verdana">Where
do we go from here? That is the question we’ve all
been struggling with. We fought our hearts out, but we lost.
Do we give in? Do we emigrate and leave forever the dream of
America, now and forever to be unrealized? Do we walk away
from that which has given us pride and sustenance over the course
of our lives, a land that has inspired us with its natural beauty
and its once noble intent? Do we walk away from our families
and friends and the soil that holds the very blood and bones
of our ancestors, the soil for which far too many gave their
lives to bequeath to us? Do we just quit? </font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif, Verdana">Or
do we continue to<b> <i>fight</i></b>?</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif, Verdana">The
symbol for the United States is an eagle, not a lemming. Too
much is at stake to turn aside now. As Martin Luther King once
said, “the ultimate measure of a man is not where
he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he
stands at times of challenge and controversy.” </font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif, Verdana">I’m choosing to fight. I’m fighting for everything
I hold dear. I’m fighting for democracy. I’m fighting
for liberty for all. I’m fighting for the unrealized dreams
of our forefathers, and the nobler aspect of the American spirit.
And I know I am not alone. I have brothers and sisters in every
community in this country, brothers and sisters who are the BEST
our nation offers, and they stand beside me. </font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif, Verdana">Ignorance,
intolerance, bigotry, hatred and fear may have carried this
one election, this one battle, but the war for the American
soul has just begun. So to quote our walking malapropism of a
president, I say to him and his supporters: ‘Bring it on’! </font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif, Verdana">Mal!</font>
<br>
<img src="images/misc/mal-signature.gif" width="228" height="142" hspace="6" align="left"></p>
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