I <3 VT
Mood:  on fire
Topic: Politicking around
A town petition drive in Brattleboro, VT to arrest Pres. Bush and VP Cheney has landed a spot on the March 4 ballot. With 436 signatures on the petiton, it reached the minimum requirement level of 5% of the town's population. That got it in front of the Town Select Board, which voted 3-2 in favor of it being on the ballot.

If that's not good old-fashioned democracy in action, I don't know what is. Some folks who had an issue wrote and circulated a petition, gained the legally required number of signatures, which led to a Select Board vote. Everyone followed the prescribed procedures, and now the town gets to vote on the motion. That's how it's done in America. It'll be up to the people of Brattleboro to vote their conscience. If they think it's a frivolous, stupid, or bad idea, they can vote against it. If they support it, the can vote in favor. That's democracy.

Now, some folks don't see it that way. One angry Minnesotan wrote, "Maybe the terrorists will do us all a favor and attack your town next, our country would be much safer with several thousand dead wackjobs in Vermont." He added, that terrorists could kidnap the three Select Board members who voted in favor and, "cut their heads off, video tape it and put it on the internet."

Another citizen wrote, "Be American, not a sniffeling (sic) liberal town that sleeps under the shield of safety provided to you by your President."

Ah, nothing like waving the flag and inviting harm to fellow citizens simply because you don't agree with their views. Now that's patriotism.

It never fails to amaze me how those who most vociferously claim to love this country, have such a limited and narrow view of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Those are all well and good until they actually support something that a "liberal" wants to say or do.

So, I say, "Go, Brattleboro!" Thank you for this exercise in democracy.