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Diebold whistleblower needs our help |
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Wednesday, 15 March 2006 |
You might notice in the upper left a new cause du jour around here, Stephen Heller, courtesy an email alert from an old friend who knows him. Short version:
Temp worker, regular guy with a wife and a dog and a mortgage and all, stumbles across legal documents indicating that Diebold looks way fishy re California elections. Like their-own-attorneys-thought-it-was-criminal fishy. (Incidentally, since Democrats simply cannot be elected nationally without California, this is a national issue. Big time.)
So guy blows the whistle, sends the papers to the California secretary of state, calls the newspapers, tries to protect the most fundamental aspect of our democracy. Like that.
Our friend seems to have pissed off the big boys royally. Now he's facing three felony charges.
Read up, do your own thinking, and see if you agree: check out the LA Times, LA Weekly, Tribune Media Services, and the Oakland Tribune. Also, with a little more attitude, Kos and the Huffington Post.
Bottom line: I'm no expert, but it seems pretty clear. Dude deserves a medal, not jail.
As it is, the guy's family is being financially wiped out. And that's even if he doesn't do time.
You can help by sending a few bucks to the Stephen Heller Legal Defense Fund website, which is also posting updates about the case. You can also bug the media -- wherever you are, remember; this has national implications, especially given what we've learned about Ohio and Florida -- to spend a few minutes on this, a story about trying to protect the most fundamental aspect of our democracy in a time of genuine danger, instead of just showing video of the latest grease fire at Hooters or whatever.
Incidentally, here's an email note I just sent to the DA's office (see address below) as best as I can remember it. (It's the middle of the night -- I'm up having a weird reaction to some travel vaccinations, and I'm not particularly organized.) I have no idea if this letter is a good model or not. It's just what I'd listen to, maybe, if I was working there.
Hi --
I've recently learned of the charges against Stephen Heller.
I suspect you already know what the rest of this email might say, and why. But please read the rest anyway, just for 30 more seconds.
You already know I'm gonna say that prosecuting a whistleblower who acted out of conscience in defense of the most fundamental mechanism of our democracy... that's just wrong. And since I'm sure you're reasonable, I bet however you intend to proceed, you do see the point, and understand why people think it's unfair.
So to you, the person reading this right now, whether you're the DA or an assistant or a clerk or whoever, please let me put it this way: I'm sure you deeply believe in justice. I bet that's a big part of why you went through law school. That couldn't have been easy. I'm sure you love living in a democracy. I'm sure you want your own vote to count. And I'm sure you're willing to do the right thing, even if it takes a little courage.
So I have to ask: if you had accidentally stumbled across evidence that the very voting process itself was endangered... wouldn't you have done the exact same thing?
Of course you would have. Everyone in your office probably would have. I like to think I would have. In fact, everyone I know would have, I bet. I certainly hope so, anyway.
You're not in Stephen Heller's shoes. But you're in your shoes, and that gives you a chance to do something really cool. You have a chance to do the right thing, and you can do it right now.
Please help get the charges against Stephen Heller dropped.
Thanks!
Bob Harris
Los Angeles, CA
These people have simply got to be more decent and wise than they're acting right now.
Thanks again to the old friend who contacted me about this. UPDATE: For some reason, the hyperlink that was supposed to open up a mail window with the address of the DA's office got screwed up, and I can't seem to fix it. So the address (written out to discourage spambots etc.; say it out loud and you'll get it): lada at-sign co little-dot la little-dot ca little-dot us.
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