Upon logging on and seeing “Gore Wins” meaning the Nobel Peace Prize, just seeing the word wins was an uplifting experience. In reading the news article, it was good to see how the writer defined the 2000 presidential race, “He was the Democratic nominee in 2000 and won the general election popular vote. However, Gore lost the electoral vote to George W. Bush after a legal challenge to the Florida result that was decided by the Supreme Court.” Not as other articles in this past seven years have stated, which have read, Gore lost the election to George W. Bush.
While the article cites that he has been coy in deciding whether or not he will enter the presidential race that is currently taking place in which the writer said he has not completely closed the deal to it. Looking upon Al Gore one can certainly envision him wearing the mantle of the office of the President of the United States easily upon his shoulders. I know he would adhere to the United States Constitution as he takes the oath of office and would do so throughout his presidency. Unlike our current president, he would treat it with the dignity it deserves because so many of our soldiers died protecting its valor. He would treat it with the dignity it deserves out of respect for our founding fathers who gave so selflessly of themselves to bring each generation after them the democracy they deserve.
Blood has been spilled and continues to be spilled defending our United States Constitution and how dare anyone defile it either by words or actions.
After the Bush V. Gore decision came down on December 12th, 2000 where five of our nine Supreme Court injustices decided in favor of handing the presidency over to George W. Bush, a terminology stood out within that decision. It was so no “irreparable harm” would come to Bush. Thinking of the casualty rate that presently stands at a little over 3,800 U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq and with one million Iraqis dead; exactly who was irreparably harmed by these five black-robed injustices? I blame them also for these deaths.
Many have labeled themselves post 9/11 Americans and some have labeled themselves pre-9/11 Americans. Me, I choose to label myself as a pre-December 12th, 2000 American. That is the day that will certainly go down as a day of infamy when the very heart of our nation was attacked.
Just recently, the Draft Gore movement took out a full page ad in the New York Times urging former Vice President Al Gore to enter this race. The ad itself cost $65,000. There has been one person who has fought for this movement all of these seven years and her name is, Monica Friedlander. I originally came to know of Monica on an Al Gore ‘Yahoo! Group’ formerly known as ‘E-Groups’ back in 2000. I came to admire her tenacity in fighting for Al. She has endured much as any fighter does promoting a cause. It was not only fighting for Al that was at the very heart of her cause, she was fighting for democracy itself and still continues to this very day.
One of her most impressive essays was published on Buzzflash.com , No, Senator Kerry, We Won't Get Over It, A Personal Commentary from the Chair of the Draft Gore 2004 Movement in which she wrote, “Get over it? We’re talking about one of the most sacred rights of a free society here, Senator, not about getting over a bad hair day. Americans have died to secure our freedoms -- including your right to run for office and our right to have our vote counted. If we believe that right was violated when the Supreme Court refused to count legal votes, it is our patriotic duty to say so.”
As so many have wrapped themselves in patriotism after September 11th, women like Monica have fought from day one citing to all what true patriotism means. True patriotism means that you never give up on the principles laid out by our founding fathers.
As many of the Democratic candidates back-peddle concerning their Iraq Resolution vote, it was Al Gore right from the start that blasted the Bush administration. He knew it was a sham and that we were being lied to. He called many of our elected officials on it and that is leadership.
He openly blasted those who voted in favor of the Patriot Act as tearing at the very heart of our Constitution. The only lone dissenter was Senator Russ Feingold. Yet, Clinton, Edwards, Biden, and Dodd were feared into voting for it.
Al Gore has stood on principle as the extreme right has attacked him time and time again and fought for this planet through his book “Earth in the Balance” and the movie, “An Inconvenient Truth” which won him the Nobel Peace Prize.
Al Gore has challenged many of our young voters and activists through something he said in the third debate back in 2000.
“And I want to tell you what I tell them: Sometimes people who are very idealistic and have great dreams, as young people do, are apt to stay at arm's length from the political process because they think their good hearts might be brittle, and if they invest their hopes and allow themselves to believe, then they're going to be let down and disappointed.But thank goodness we've always had enough people who have been willing in every generation to push past the fear of a broken heart and become deeply involved in forming a more perfect union. We're America. And we believe in our future, and we know we have the ability to shape our future.”As that Draft Gore petition makes its way around the Internet, a comments section is contained within it where ordinary folks who are idealistic still and crave the leadership of Al Gore can reach out and touch him. I do suppose there are not as many who believe in the optimism Gore relayed when he said, “We’re America. And we believe in our future” Due in part to these seven long and arduous years. But many do soldier on and that is only to our benefit that they do. Many of these patriotic Americans are trying to shape our future and we should thank each and every one of them.
In "The American President" President Shepherd's aide Lewis Rothschild (played by actor Michael J. Fox) says to the president: "People want leadership. And in the absence of genuine leadership, they will listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone. They want leadership, Mr. President. They're so thirsty for it, they'll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there's no water, they'll drink the sand."
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
