An E-Mail That Is A Must Read:
As the image below shows, you never know what you'll capture when you turn on a camera. We acquired this video of then Governor Bush yesterday and released it on the internet to promote our new initiative -- the Video Vote Vigil.
As reports of organized voter intimidation and suppression efforts continue to surface, we must be prepared to shine a spotlight on the enemies of democracy. Together, we will send a message to would-be intimidators that they can’t hide from the eyes of the world. We want to make sure everyone who possesses the will to vote, does vote. If you'd like to help please go to
http://www.vidvote.org/
Please contribute what you can to cover our expenses, and sign up to join our army of volunteers who will spread out among the nation's polling places and record instances of voter intimidation and harassment. We will be asking for videotape, digitial photographs, even cell phone photographs of voter abuse. PLEASE NOTE: We are not asking people to videotape inside polling places, but rather in the streets outside the polls where most intimidation occurs. In most jurisdictions cameras are not allowed inside the polls.
Forward this email to your friends and contacts. We need thousands of volunteers.
When we revealed the videotape of President Bush shooting the finger, we couldn't help but notice that the image is much more powerful than a verbal description of his obscene gesture. Our efforts to document to abuse of voters this election will cast the perps in just such an unforgiving light.
Distributing videotape and photographs of the abusers to the world will discourage and deter other would-be harassers from following through on their plans to keep millions of Americans away from the polls.
Bush's "one-finger victory salute" attracted hundreds of thousand of visitors to our site. Now we need to turn our successful launch into election-day action. Please forward this email to others, contribute to the effort, and sign up as a vigilant protector of democracy.
We don't want to do anything to disrupt the process or interfere with election officials in the performance of their official duties. But we can capture the harassers in the streets. Some will dress up in law-enforcement garb. In some places real law enforcement personnel will join the effort as they did in Florida in 2000 when many African-American voters spoke of being stopped at roadblocks and drivers license checks on their way to the polls.
When the harassment does take place inside the polling place, victims can be interviewed outside. Testimonials will provide real-time, human stories about the attacks on democracy.
We will try to focus the effort in important battleground states: Ohio, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Colorado, New Mexico et cetera. We would ask volunteers to check with local organization officials about those precincts or areas of a community most likely to be targeted for intimidation and harassment. Sadly, it is often minority communities who are victimized by the harassment and intimidation.
We will make it easy for volunteers to send us their pictures and videotapes. A simple online form will let us know where the abuse has happened and who uncovered and reported it.
This is an unprecedented effort to protect our democracy. Join with us now.
thank you,Glenn Smith
