Richard Pierce

Richard Pierce – author, poet, painter

Politics

An open letter to the Free Electors of the USA

Dear Free Electors,

On December 19th, you have a huge opportunity to demonstrate that the Electoral College set up by the Founding Fathers is not an irrelevance in this day and age. An opportunity to demonstrate to your own legal experts and leading thinkers on the law that the Electoral College is not an anachronism but an instrument of balance, a force, as originally intended, to halt dictatorship and despotism in your united states, to prevent all power from being concentrated in a single person’s hands. You have an opportunity, too, to act not just for the good of your country but for the good of the entire world. You have the power not to let Donald Trump ascend to the presidency of the USA, and to prevent Mike Pence from becoming Vice-President.

Consider this, from your Declaration of Independence:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”

There can be no doubt that Mr Trump and Mr Pence threaten the equality of people, that they threaten to withdraw from many those inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that any government they would head would be destructive of these ends. And no doubt that their betrayal of your Declaration of Independence would also seek to withdraw those rights from people around the globe.

Consider this, from your Constitution:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Mr Trump, as President, and Mr Pence as Vice-President, would not be acting to establish justice, nor to ensure domestic tranquillity, nor promote general welfare for all the inhabitants of the United States. And they would withdraw the blessings of liberty from your country, as well as causing to fall apart that “more perfect Union” of states.

Consider this, from your Bill of Rights:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

This is just one of the ten constitutional amendments which make up your Bill of Rights which Mr Trump has expressly declared that he will repeal, with the support of Mr Pence. Has he not by this statement alone already breached your constitution, and is he therefore not already unfit to serve, as is Mr Pence?

Therefore, dear Free Electors of the USA, do not cast your vote for Mr Trump or Mr Pence on 19th December. Even those of you in the 24 states which against all notions of liberty bind their Electors can refuse to cast your votes for Mr Trump and Mr Pence at the risk only of small penalties. Is that not a risk worth taking so that the constitution of your country remains intact, for your reputation in the world to be less tarnished? What price is worth paying for liberty and peace in the world? And those of you in the 22 states which do not bind their Electors, you have no obligation whatsoever to cast your votes for two men who would divide not just your united states but would destroy the entire world. I would urge you all to cast your votes for Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine instead.

Yours, in hope,

R

edited on 28th November to urge the Electors to withhold their votes from Mike Pence, too.

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1 Comment

  1. SARAH JANE HECKSCHER

    21st November 2016 at 17:57

    Here! Here! The fate of the world lies in the hands of the Electors.

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