I'm not a Kerry fan, but he deserves credit for not pursuing Gore-like legal madness in Ohio. As I posted on Tuesday, I was fearful of the legalities that started prior to the election. I still have a bad taste in my mouth, even though the election turned out well. Both sides can claim a legal victory because they mobilized so many lawyers to haunt the voting places. However, what they've done this year is set a precedent that Americans can be trusted to vote and volunteers can be trusted to facilitate voting as long as they are managed by attorneys. Because nothing went to court after the election, I don't think there will be much analysis of the negative impact of using lawyers as political police.
To me, the future is uncertain. I'm glad Bush won. We can debate all day long on things like gay marriage and school vouchers. None of that will be important if terrorism is allowed to return to U.S. soil via a biological agent or nuclear weapon. I respect the steps Bush has taken to ensure that doesn't happen.
What I'm not glad about is the continuing erosion of American freedom. No, it's not because of the Patriot Act. It's not because potential terrorists are held indefinitely (until they are freed by the court system to kill again). It's because the lawyers of America are slowing draining our freedoms to work, think, and behave like we want to. While this election was a victory for conservatism, it was, at the same time, a victory for more litigation and legal shackles placed on the one thing we supposedly treasure more than anything. Every year, more law suits are filed, lobbying groups work harder, and congress passes more laws. Our legal system is intended to protect us, but, like vines in a garden, if it is not managed properly it will grow out of control and choke everything else.
This year, not even our two-hundred-year-old tradition of elections was saved from the growing legal strangulation of our society. Both the Republicans and Democrats are responsible for the legions of lawyers that invaded the polling places. They will not go away on their own.
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Unrest by Parkway Drive