The Final Thread...
“Our great Constitution has been beaten and torn until now it hangs by a single thread, and that thread is our franchise to vote.” (Ezra Taft Benson, 1976, Freeman Institute, Provo, Utah)
President John Taylor tried to warn the Saints about this important and vital part of the gospel that most leave undone. He said:
“….As we have progressed the mist has been removed, and in relation to these matters, the Elders of Israel begin to understand that they have something to do with the world politically as well as religiously, that it is as much their duty to study correct political principles as well as religious, and to seek to know and comprehend the social and political interests of man, and to learn and be able to teach that which would be best calculated to promote the interest of the world.” (1862, JD-9:340)
It is well known that the Democratic Party in America has always been identified as the political party which “stands for the little guy”, and will use the government to make things more “fair” or “equal” in society. Experience has shown over the last several years that this is the mission of the Republican Party as well. But what methods do they rely on to achieve this “equality”? LDS President John Taylor felt that there is something very wrong about government welfare and its practice of forced charity. He said:
“There is also another political party, who desire, through the influence of legislation and coercion, to level the world. To say the least, it is a species of robbery; to some it may appear an honorable one, but nevertheless, it is robbery. What right has any private man to take by force the property of another? The laws of all nations would punish such a man as a thief. Would thousands of men engaged in the same business make it more honorable? Certainly not. And if a nation were to do it, would a nation’s act sanctify a wrong deed? No; the Algerine pirates, or Arabian hordes, were never considered honorable, on account of their numbers; and a nation, or nations, engaging in this would only augment the banditti, but could never sanctify the deed”. (John Taylor, Government of God, 1852, p. 23)
At the April 1968 General Conference of the Church, Ezra Taft Benson stated that:
“If American freedom is lost, if America is destroyed, if our blood-bought freedom is surrendered, it will be because of Americans. . . . The facts are clear. Our problem centers in Washington, D.C. And this applies to the administration of both political parties” (in Conference Report, April 1968, pp. 50–52).
Quoting from Elder Marion G. Romney’s 1960 general conference address (Conference Report., October 1960, p.73-75.), Elder Ezra Taft Benson said:
“We who hold the priesthood must beware concerning ourselves, that we do not fall into the traps he lays to rob us of our freedom. We must be careful that we are not led to accept or support in any way any organization, cause or measure which, in its remotest effect, would jeopardize free agency, whether it be in politics, government, religion, employment, education, or any other field. It is not enough for us to be sincere in what we support. We must be right!” (Conference Report, October 1963, p.16)
J. Reuben Clark:
“Now, I am not caring today, for myself, anything at all about a political party tag. So far as I am concerned, I want to know what the man stands for... When I find out these things, then I know who it is who should receive my support, and I care not what his party tag is... Today, our duty transcends party allegiance; our duty today is allegiance to the Constitution as it was given to us by the Lord.” (J. Reuben Clark, Jr., CR 10/62:8)
Hyrum Smith, Patriarch of the Church, brother to the Prophet Joseph, and martyr for the Kingdom stated:
“We engage in the election the same as in any other principle: you are to vote for good men, and if you do not do this it is a sin: to vote for wicked men, it would be sin. Choose the good and refuse the evil. Men of false principles have preyed upon us like wolves upon helpless lambs. Damn the rod of tyranny; curse it. Let every man use his liberties according to the Constitution. Don’t fear man or devil; electioneer with all people, male and female, and exhort them to do the thing that is right. We want a President of the U. S., not a party President, but a President of the whole people; for a party President disfranchises the opposite party. Have a President who will maintain every man in his rights.” (History of the Church, Vol.6, Ch.15, p.323)
There was a two party system in the United States in 1844, much like there is today. In regards to the question of whether to vote for the “Whig” candidate or the “Democratic” candidate in the election of 1844, and his unwillingness to vote for either, the Prophet Joseph Smith stated:
“...we shall have the satisfaction of knowing that we have acted conscientiously, and have used our best judgment. And if we have to throw away our votes, we had better do so upon a worthy rather than an unworthy individual who might make use of the weapon we put in his hand to destroy us.” (Times and Seasons, Nauvoo, IV, 441. Cited also in Roberts, Comprehensive History, II, 208-209.)
Will President Bush or some future President and Congress make use of the weapon we placed in their hands to destroy us? This remains to be seen, but the laws are now there to allow the persecution that has been prophesied for this people.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie warned the Saints in October 1980 general conference:
“The way ahead is dark and dreary and dreadful. There will yet be martyrs; the doors in Carthage shall again enclose the innocent. We have not been promised that the trials and evils of the world will entirely pass us by.”
In that same conference he also said:
“This is the great day of Satan’s power. Gadianton robbers fill the judgment seats in many nations. For those who finish their journey to Mount Zion, to stand with the Lamb, the way ahead is dark and dreary and dreadful. Our worst persecution is NOT behind us. The doors of Carthage shall again enclose the innocent. We shall yet weep more tears for Zion than we have ever known before.”
Now, with electronic voting machines and the documented fraud which has taken place through them – can we honestly say that the last thread which held up our Constitution hasn’t been cut or isn’t at least in the process of being cut?
20 Amazing Facts About
Voting in the USA
Did you know....
1. 80% of all votes in America are counted by only two companies: Diebold and ES&S.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diebold
2. There is no federal agency with regulatory authority or oversight of the U.S. voting machine industry.
http://www.onlinejournal.com/evoting/042804Landes/042804landes.html
3. The vice-president of Diebold and the president of ES&S are brothers.
http://www.onlinejournal.com/evoting/042804Landes/042804landes.html
4. The chairman and CEO of Diebold is a major Bush campaign organizer and donor who wrote in 2003 that he was “committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year.”
http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/columns/2004/03/03_200.html
http://www.hillnews.com/news/012903/hagel.aspx
http://www.businessweek.com/2000/00_28/b3689130.htm
http://www.essvote.com/HTML/about/about.html
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0225-05.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0225-05.htm
http://www.diebold.com/aboutus/ataglance/default.htm
5. Republican Senator Chuck Hagel used to be chairman of ES&S. He became Senator based on votes counted by ES&S machines.
http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/columns/2004/03/03_200.html
http://www.onlinejournal.com/evoting/031004Fitrakis/031004fitrakis.html
6. Republican Senator Chuck Hagel, long-connected with the Bush family, was recently caught lying about his ownership of ES&S by the Senate Ethics Committee.
http://www.blackboxvoting.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=26
http://www.hillnews.com/news/012903/hagel.aspx
http://www.onlisareinsradar.com/archives/000896.php
7. Senator Chuck Hagel was on a short list of George W. Bush's vice-presidential candidates.
http://www.businessweek.com/2000/00_28/b3689130.htm
http://theindependent.com/stories/052700/new_hagel27.html
8. ES&S is the largest voting machine manufacturer in the U.S. and counts almost 60% of all U.S. votes.
http://www.essvote.com/HTML/about/about.html
http://www.onlinejournal.com/evoting/042804Landes/042804landes.html
9. Diebold's new touch screen voting machines have no paper trail of any votes. In other words, there is no way to verify that the data coming out of the machine is the same as what was legitimately put in by voters.
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0225-05.htm
http://www.itworld.com/Tech/2987/041020evotestates/pfindex.html
10. Diebold also makes ATM's, checkout scanners, and ticket machines, all of which log each transaction and can generate a paper trail.
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0225-05.htm
http://www.diebold.com/solutions/default.htm
11. Diebold is based in Ohio.
http://www.diebold.com/aboutus/ataglance/default.htm
12. Diebold employed 5 convicted felons as consultants and developers to help write the central compiler computer code that counted 50% of the votes in 30 states.
http://www.chuckherrin.com/HackthevoteFAQ.htm#how
http://www.globalexchange.org/update/press/2638.html
movie here: http://www.bbvdocs.org/videos/baxterVPR.mov.)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4874190
17. 30% of all U.S. votes are carried out on unverifiable touch screen voting machines with no paper trail.
http://www.wired.com/news/evote/0,2645,65757,00.html
http://www.rise4news.net/extravotes.html
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0411/S00227.htm
19. The governor of the state of Florida, Jeb Bush, is the President’s brother.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10544-2004Oct29.html
20. Serious voting anomalies in Florida -- again always favoring Bush -- have been mathematically demonstrated and experts are recommending further investigation.
http://www.computerworld.com/governmenttopics/government/policy/story/0,10801,97614,00.html
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/1106-30.htm
http://uscountvotes.org/
We must return to a paper ballot system which can be counted by human beings with 3rd party observers. We must not allow this fraud to be perpetrated upon us. We cannot allow this last thread to be cut.
