They Get E-Mails

Swim/Hope at Deep Confusion has a lengthy post up about the importance of electoral reform, which is a subject near and dear to my heart. The Democratic party has frustrated and infuriated me with its complacent passivity about election reform; yeah, I'm sort of dimly aware that they're working on it behind the scenes, but where's the urgency? Where's the passion? Why aren't they making a big deal about this and forcing the Republicans to defend their antidemocratic position?

In the post comments, Swim/Hope has urged everyone to write their congresscritters, in hopes that if enough people do so, the Democrats might actually sit up and take notice. So here's my attempt, directed at Representative Mike Doyle, PA-14 (my Senators are Specter and Santorum, so not much point there...):

Where do you stand on election reform (i.e., open, accessible, and accountable elections)? Democrats cannot afford to let Republicans tilt the playing field by weeding out, intimidating, and otherwise discouraging Democratic voters; or possibly even electronically tampering with votes outright.

I know congressional Democrats are working on this, but they're doing it very slowly and quietly, when this is something that should be a high-profile and urgent issue. I understand that there is probably wariness about being labeled sore-loser conspiracy theorists, but that is easily countered by pointing out that the world's greatest democracy should have elections that are above reproach or question, not clouded by mystery and suspicion. If our elections are truly free and fair, the Republicans should want everyone in the world to see it. Force them to either give in to election reform, or else explain why they are so opposed to the ideals of democracy that they profess to love and want to spread across the globe.

Please, I beg of you, take up this cause. Light a fire under your fellow Democratic congressmen and congresswomen. This country cannot afford to let the Republicans mute or distort the voice of the people any longer.

I don't know if he'll do anything with it, but maybe he can slip it to Conyers or Waxman or Waters...