[Peace-discuss] (no subject)

[David Johnson]

To whom it may concern:


I am writing to protest the arrest of Green Party Presidential Candidate, Jill Stein, and the Party's Vice-Presidential Candidate, Cheri Honkala, for their attempt to enter the grounds of last night's second presidential debate.


There treatment while under arrest was unconscionable.  To hold two mature women for over eight hours handcuffed to chair, to my mind, comes close to the edge of torture.  It certainly seems to be sending a message designed to discourage political protest - one of the cornerstones of a well-functioning democracy.  


I am sure that Commission representatives will respond that they are not responsible for how security personnel treated the two women.  But the Commission's hands are not clean in this sad business.  The rules and regulations the Commission has established that make it virtually impossible for candidates outside of the two mainstream parties to be heard are highly - let me repeat - highly undemocratic.  When the League of Women Voters organized the debates, individuals were included in the debates who represented any party appearing on a "critical mass" of state presidential election ballots.  Now this is no longer the case.  


Consequently,by way of protest, Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala were driven to appear at the gates of Hofstra University and make a non-violent attempt to gain access to the debate venue.


Shame on you! 


Let me also affirm that I, for one, intend to continue in the future to publicly criticize the commission and to urge others to do the same.  



Yours,






Dr. Patricia Simpson
Emerita Professor
Institute of Human Resources and Industrial Relations
School of Business Administration
Loyola University Chicago
820 N. Michigan
Chicago, IL 60611
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