[Newspoetry] Vote Stealing

[DL Emerick]

Major Problems At Polls Feared

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/16/AR2006091600885.
html

 

The Story:

It never makes sense,

Until you see silver linings.

 

In 2000, an election was disputed,

For reasons of counting problems.

 

So, America passes a new rule:

Use electronic voting machines -

For surely no one distrusts them.

 

Now, purveyors of this technology

all support this gift of a big buy,

and all are friends of a big W guy.

 

We have a couple more elections,

All disputable, and even more so --

As we even hear the purveyors say,

We will do everything it takes to win.

 

And, so there is a federal mandate:

Use the machines that insure we win,

That elections will be disputed,

Calling for more technology buys.

 

 

What is wrong the paper votes?

 

They can't be stolen, so easily,

But it takes a while to count them,

to gather the count together,

to declare for certain a winner.

 

Is impatience that strong,

That it must be gratified?

 

Voting problems always are.

Earlier technology improvements

Gave us punch cards - and chads -

Mechanical voting with flaws.

 

 

The most solemn truth is this:

An election is not about honesty,

When corrupt interests run elections,

And do not want an honest election.

 

Hiding the problems under the panel

Of a gleaming technological panacea

making the system unobservable --

its "outcomes" so widely "known"

become indisputable "facts",

As all "know" it  all already,

And are restlessly ready to move on:

Complainers are merely sore losers.

 

The measure of truth is just this:

How swiftly is it widely known,

So everyone accepts it, as if true?

 

Yes, we had an election;

Yes, some people voted,

Yes, we counted machine votes,

Though our counting is wrong,

If you think it must match voting,

As a true and accurate measure

Of the will of the people.

 

Get used to it, guy -

We declared a winner:

There is nothing you can do about it.

 

You were screwed, before it began --

The election was hot-wired for theft.

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