Rule of War: Know your enemy!
Knowing your enemy is one of the major rules of war, as put forth by Sun Tzu, Chinese military strategist and author of The Art of War some 500 years BC. Typically, we think of an enemy as attacking from outside of the country. We especially expect an enemy to be blatant, as in engaging in military action. We need to be aware, though, that an enemy can attack (and destroy) us from within. The message of the day is to be on the alert and be aware.
USPS is a Constitutional institution
Article I, Section 8, Clause 7 of the U.S. Constitution establishes the requirement for a nation-wide postal service. It is critical for a number of reasons, particularly during these pandemic times when medicines and incomes depend on it.
Another pandemic concern is for the upcoming election. Five states have voted by mail for years: Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, and Utah. It has been proved to be a very safe, fraud-resistant, voting approach and is now embraced in one form or another by 43 states.
The Unites States Postal Service (USPS) is a heavily relied-upon institution that keeps the wheels of government, as well as those of society at large, moving. To impede its functions and service during a time of elections is tantamount to a overt attack by an enemy.
USPS slows down
Phil McCausland, Geoff Bennett and Kevin Collier of NBC News, reported in their article, U.S. Postal Service warns numerous states that mail-in ballots may be delivered too late, saying:
Numerous states have received letters from the U.S. Postal Service in recent days warning them that the agency that oversees mail in the United States will not be able to fulfill requests for mail-in ballots.
They also reported the alarming concern over intentional slowdowns of the mail by the removal of mail collection boxes. They report a USPS response:
The USPS had also intended on removing a number of blue collection boxes around the country, but a [USPS] spokesman said Friday that it would wait until after Election Day and reevaluate its needs.
Is this simply good business or is the USPS simply following orders? Both the measures taken and the timing of them are suspect.
USPS is at risk of an attack
BBC News recently reported of postal delays in its article, US 2020: Postal service warns of delays in mail-in vote. It notes:
Mr. [President] Trump said he was blocking additional funding for the USPS to help with election issues, because he opposed mail-in voting. He has repeatedly said mail-in ballots will lead to voting fraud – and give a boost to his rival Democrat Joe Biden. Experts say the mail-in voting system – which is used by the American military and by Mr. Trump himself – is safe from tampering.
Meanwhile, Congress’s two top Democrats – Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer – called on the president to stop his “assault” on the postal service and “allow the 2020 election to proceed without his sabotage tactics”.
Andrew Theen in The Oregonian reports of the deep-rooted concern in its article, Leaders blast postal changes quoting Oregon Senator Merkley:
Our authoritarian-inclined president is attacking the very foundation of our Republic … That may sound like hyperbole, but it’s not.
The enemy is a loser’s attitude
The enemy is clearly not the USPS itself. Its history of dedicated service throughout the years is stellar. Voting by mail is also not the enemy, as it has been a mode of casting ballots since the Civil War. And, simply accusing President Trump as the enemy may not be fully accurate. I’m suggesting the enemy is more insidious than that. To blame individuals is too easy.
The enemy, in my opinion, is the loser’s attitude. Losers cheat. They cheat when they realize they cannot win fairly. Whether it’s sports, or business, or politics – losers cheat! That’s what losers do. It’s more than simply breaking rules. Losers sneak in an advantage – they cheat!
So, the enemy, or the actions thereof, is not just emanating from one office. It is being propagated by anyone who cheats in our elections, no matter the method. Fair elections are foundational to our Republic, as Senator Merkley said. We must preserve them as best we can – be on the alert and be aware!
Elections call for us to be alert and aware!
This concern touches the center rail for Equal Voice Voting (EVV). The voting approach is all about fairness and inclusiveness – capturing the sentiment of governed via a popular vote on a state-by-state basis. Any attempt to suppress voters or votes is an attack from an enemy with a loser’s perspective. While an enemy is often considered to be a foreign adversary, cheaters live among us, the enemy comes from within.
Perhaps we should be used to it by now. It’s fairly easy to recognize voter suppression when it occurs. Sadly, it still persists and remains effective. Cheaters are losers but they can still capture an election.
It’s more difficult to wake up one day and realize that we habitually suppress votes during presidential elections. A couple of centuries has turned it into a habit. During every presidential election, we ignore tens of millions of votes – granting them no representation – with little or no expressed concern. It forms an attitude. A loser’s attitude. The enemy thrives within.
Are you okay with this, or are you just complacent?
We have an election in eleven weeks. If you’re voting by mail, vote early!
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By Jerry Spriggs and the Equal Voice Voting Team