i'm baaaaaaaccccckkkkkk!!!!

I drove into California late last nite but didn't return to the bay area until early this morning. It feels so sad and depressed here. On my way up 5, people sadly smiled and waved without much enthusiasm. Even when I reached the wonderful bay area freeways, few folks honked, many put their fists in the air with silent determination. One white guy holds up a bush/cheney sticker and I hold up my "oh another rich white male, shame" poster for him.
I park at my shop, a little apprehensive about what I might find after being gone so long - and after the experiences I left with!
What a Welcome Home is awaiting: the whole front of my door has been decorated with a bright pink slip that lists some of the intense pinkslipping we have ahead of us:
*nonorganic vegetables
*diebold voting machines
*bad books on tape
*packaged tofu juice
*secretaries of state that are republican committee co-chairs
*stupid rich white men
*fossil fuel corps.
*hummers
*bush supporters
*dried sage haters
*foaming latte makers
*rabid jaguar game fans
*bush bumper stickers smacked on the truck
*walmart
....then they ran outta room - my welcome home committee!!! plus cards & notes - yeah!!!
I sat a little dazed in the front room of my shop, taking in the good energy - there's nothing like home. Several folks stopped in to chat - so distraught about the election results, so proud to be living in one of the blue states, so discouraged about the next four years - I can only talk about what I've seen - I do not believe the republican party won legitimately - first of all, owning the media - including newspapers, billboards, radio & TV - is not legitimate; appointing secretary of states that are also (co)chairs of the republican party & decision makers for our election policies - that is not legitimate. Ordering (kenneth blackwell ohio) county clerks to dispose of all voter registration cards not printed on cardstock 5 days prior to the last day to register - that is not legitimate. Making bogus lists of felons (glenda hood florida) in an attempt to 'purge' voters - that is not legitimate. Ordering voter registration cards (glenda again) tossed that did not have the box 'u.s. citizen' checked, even tho the signature line at the bottom swore u.s. citizenship - that is not legitimate. All of these latter attempts at stealing this election were fought and won by courageous, informed folks - yet who knows how many voters were disenfranchised by these tactics.
Not to mention election day itself: the number of times I attempted to drive folks to the polls, the poll listed on their registration card, and we ended up having to take them somewhere else farther away; or the times I witnessed angry voters stomping off because they were told they were not allowed to vote at the poll they showed up at. Or the womon who was ordered by white poll workers to unwrap her head because they couldn't tell if she was pictured on her driver's license or not! Or the womon with 2 small babies who tried to vote & was told she forgot to write her driver's license number when she registered so she couldn't vote. Or the fellow who raced to the door 15 seconds after 7:00, only to be turned away.
Not to mention all the votes that were never counted: the provisional votes (that in 2000 were tossed three days outta the election I believe), the absentee ballets, the oversea's vote including the military!
As folks come in & we speak, I feel we must regather, regroup, reassess and continue fighting. We must think about the iraqi's who have no choice and we must surge ahead - we can do this. As gandhi or mlk or someone brilliant and courageous once said - good and right will prevail, it always does - or something like that. We knew this was going to be a hard fight; we were hoping it was going to be over nov 2nd - but it's not. we will prevail.