FREEP IDEA! (Florida)

Bradenton Herald ^ | 9/22/02 | Rod Harmon

[katherineisgreat]

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Posted on Sun, Sep. 22, 2002
An 'Unprecedented' examination of Florida's flawed 2000 election ROD HARMON Herald Staff Writer On Jan. 20, 2001, Joan Sekler and Richard Ray Perez watched George W. Bush take the oath of office to become the 43rd president of the United States. It was the culmination of the most controversial and rancorous presidential election in American history. For the new administration, the issue was closed. But to many others, there were still disturbing questions. Why were thousands of non-felons, most of them blacks, taken off the voter rolls as part of a felon purge list? Why were Republican staffers allowed to disrupt a legal recount in Miami-Dade County? Why did Al Gore seek a recount in only four counties instead of in the entire state? The day after the inauguration, Sekler and Perez decided to seek answers to these and other questions. Using money from Sekler's retirement fund and frequent flier miles donated by friends, they packed their bags and headed to Florida to make a documentary. The result is "Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election," a report on what the directors call "the undermining of democracy in America." At 7 p.m. Monday, the 50-minute film will be screened at Manatee Community College's Neel Auditorium by the college's film club. Sekler and Perez will introduce the film and answer questions, and BBC reporter Greg Palast, who broke the story about the felon list, will be a guest speaker. Congressional candidates Katherine Harris and Jan Schneider have been invited to attend. The directors say their intention isn't to favor Democrats or Republicans. Of the more than 100 people interviewed for the film, few were affiliated with either party. What the directors want, they maintain, is to make people aware that the election process in the United States is flawed by money, power and partisan politics. "Most Americans live relatively comfortable lives compared to citizens around the world, and that puts us in an area of denial that we have problems with our democratic system of government," Perez said. "(The film) is a wake-up call to say, the way we conduct our elections isn't necessarily democratic. "We have problems with the machines, but there's also a manipulation of the process itself and a manipulation at the hands of political parties. We all assume that our votes are counted and that everyone plays by the rules, but in fact, people are massaging these different rules and laws and processes and affecting the outcome in a very undemocratic way." Felon purge list "Unprecedented" begins with a look at Gov. Jeb Bush's tumultuous history with Florida's black community sparked in 1999 by his ban of affirmative action, which resulted in a statewide voter registration drive among blacks. Using Palast's work as a springboard, Perez and Sekler examine a felon purge list compiled by Database Technologies, ordered by Bush and administered by then-Secretary of State Katherine Harris, which they say removed anywhere from 57,000 to 91,000 voters from the rolls - more than half of them black Democrats, and most of them non-felons - without verifying the names. DBT, which has been absorbed by ChoicePoint in a merger, said before the U.S. Civil Rights Commission that it warned the state that the list could be inaccurate, but it was ignored. The company recently settled a lawsuit with the NAACP; among the terms was an agreement to re-examine the purge list. "(The NAACP) settlement calls for DBT to identify the names of the people who were falsely put on the list and give it to the Division of Elections, which will eventually give it to the 67 supervisors of elections, who will eventually go through the list and restore names," Sekler said. "But that's going to take a year, if not more." One of the most stirring images of the film is taken from footage of protestors disrupting a manual recount in Miami-Dade County. The filmmakers freeze-frame an image and identify Republican staffers, including several who are now working in the White House. Documents released to the Internal Revenue Service in July revealed that the protesters were flown to Florida by the Bush campaign and rewarded for their actions with monetary payments. "An online journalist, Robert Perry, drew an analogy to the Democratic convention in Chicago in 1968, where some activists were prosecuted for crossing a state line to provoke a riot," Perez said. Those defendants became known as the Chicago Seven. "Well, this is a very similar circumstance, and these people weren't prosecuted at all. They were rewarded with (positions) at the White House and even paid money," Perez said. "Unprecedented" also turns a critical eye toward the Democratic Party and Al Gore for making speeches about how every vote should be counted and then requesting recounts in only four counties dominated by Democrats. "They wanted an easy victory, and that's why they just chose four heavily-Democratic counties," Sekler said. "They said, 'We're only interested in getting some more Democratic votes.' So strategically, it was a very bad mistake, and ultimately, it was a contradiction, because Gore was getting on television all the time talking about how we live in a democracy, and they need to count every vote." Call for reform One segment that ended up on the cutting-room floor because it would have made the movie too long was a piece on the media's coverage of the election. The directors say the American news media was lazy in its coverage and unwilling to perform investigative work. As evidence, they point to the fact that it took Palast, a reporter working in Britain, to break the story about the felon purge list. "The media has problems calling a liar a liar," Perez said. "They'll report that just as the opposing view, whether it's obviously a lie or not. They can't call a liar a liar, and that's just their lack of gumption . . . it's a big problem with the media, and it was ultimately out of the scope of our documentary." Not surprisingly, Gov. Bush's office isn't pleased with the film or the allegations made by its directors. "A documentary implies there might actually be relevant and factual information for the viewers," said Elizabeth Hirst, press secretary for Gov. Bush. "This sounds more like a sequel to 'Conspiracy Theory.' Call me cynical, but I am fairly confident there is no mention in this film of the true election reform that took place under the leadership of Gov. Jeb Bush after the November 2000 election." Katherine Harris said she hasn't seen the film, but from what she's heard, she's not going to "waste her time" by viewing it. "I read some things about it that were just so outrageously untrue, I just don't think I'm going to bother (seeing it)," Harris said. Sekler and Perez hope "Unprecedented" will help ensure that reforms are made so that the 2000 election will not set a precedent for future elections. They're trying to get voters who were illegally purged because of the felon list to re-register by the Oct. 7 deadline instead of waiting for the supervisors of elections to fix their lists. And they want elected officials to ensure voters once and for all that their ballots will count - especially in light of the problems that occurred during the Florida primary. "Fix it. Fix it once and for all," Perez said. "Don't pass the buck from top to bottom. Stop blaming other people. They have the power to fix it, so fix it. Unless their general intention is to not fix it, which is what people are starting to wonder." WHAT:"Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election" •  WHEN: 7 p.m. Monday •  WHERE: Neel Auditorium, Manatee Community College, 5840 26th St. W. • ADMISSION: $3 • INFORMATION: 752-5252 About the filmmakers Joan Sekler is a founder of the Los Angeles Independent Media Center, a worldwide network of independent journalists and videographers who produce media on political and social issues. She has been an associate producer and/or publicist for numerous political documentaries, including the Academy Award-winning film, "The Panama Deception." Richard Ray Perez is a producer, director, videographer and editor for the Los Angeles Independent Media Center. He has worked as technical director for the Fox Broadcasting Co. and as assignment editor and field producer for KCBS-TV News in Los Angeles.

[weegee]

"An online journalist, Robert Perry, drew an analogy to the Democratic convention in Chicago in 1968, where some activists were prosecuted for crossing a state line to provoke a riot," Perez said. Those defendants became known as the Chicago Seven.

Isn't "online journalist" just another word for a "web hack"? What keeps all of us FReepers from being called "online journalists"?

The Chicago 7 brought guns to the party, they knew in advance that they planned to get things up in arms.

There was an LA Times journalist who went to cover the Elian Gonzales story in Miami (she later went inside the Church Of The Nativity standoff). While at a protest in Miami, she started throwing rocks at the police. This was an attempt to start a riot (and fabricate journalism).

The Republican observers did not like how the counting was being done behind closed doors (where ballots could be altered).

[weegee]

I don't see any mention of the overseas military vote. I don't see any mention of the banked phone calls (from Texas) on election night to ask Florida voters if they mis-voted (if voters knew afterwards which hole they punched then they knew enough to punch the correct hole). The Rat mobs were rent-a-mobs but I don't see any allegations of such activity.

[weegee]

Does this video show how to stack multiple ballots together and punch the (Gore) chad? It would be very informative to show how dimpled chads are created.

[weegee]

Non-partisan my a**. The only way this is non-partisan is if they include the Green and the Red parties (Communist Party, Socialist Party, Socialist Workers Party, etc.) along with the Rat Party. It is definitely a Republican smear.

Here's the schedule (although you may want to verify latest data at their website)

Screening Schedule

Tuesday Sept 17, 2002 8 PM ET	Miami	Lyric Theatre 819 NW 2nd Ave.	Sponsored by: ACLU, People for the American Way Contact: Alessandra Soler ACLU 305 576-2337 and http://www.BlackHistoryTours.com
Friday Sept 20, 2002 7 PM ET	St. Petersburg	Univ of South Florida location to be annouced	Contact: Professor Darryl Paulson 727 553-1582
Saturday Sept 21, 2002 11 AM ET	Sarasota	Burns Court Cinema http://www.burnscourt.com	Contact: Dick Morris, Sarasota Film Society 941 364-8662 x24 Admission is $10, $7 Sarasota Film Society members
Saturday Sept 21, 2002 7 PM ET	Tampa	Univ of Tampa Falk theater	Sponsor: WMNF Radio Tickets $10 advance, $15 door Contact: Rob Lorei 813 238-8001 x18 or Purchase tickets online at http://tickets.wmnf.org
Sunday Sept 22, 2002 7 PM ET	Sarasota	TBD	TBD
Monday Sept 23, 2002 7 PM ET	Bradenton	Manatee Community College Neel Auditorium 5840 26th St W	Sponsored by: MCC Film Club Contact: Del Jacobs 941 752 5593 Admission: $3, free for MCC students, staff
Tuesday Sept 24, 2002 5:30 PM ET	Gainesville	Martin Luther King Jr. Center 1028 N.E. 14th Street Gainesville 32601	Sponsored by: NAACP and the Martin Luther King Jr Commission Contact: Evelyn Foxx at 352-870-7013 or Elsie Allen at 352-375-8448
Tuesday Sept 24, 2002 8 PM ET	Gainesville	Univ of Florida Reitz Union Cinema	Sponsored by: Campus ACLU Contact: Karen Harmel at 352-846-4979 or Elsie Allen at 352-375-8448
Wednesday Sept 25, 2002 7 PM ET	Orlando	University of Central Florida	Sponsored by: The Progressive Council Contact: Mike Tyner 407 739-9592
Thursday Sept 26, 2002 7 PM ET	Tallahassee	Florida State Univ	Sponsored by: United Students Against Sweatshops, AFL-CIO, Arrive with Five, NAACP Contact: Rich Templin 850 224-6926
Friday Sept 27, 2002 6-7 PM       screening 7-8 debate** 8-9       discussion	Jacksonville	Jacksonville University Gooding Auditorium University Boulevard North	** viewing TV debate between Jeb Bush and Democratic opponent Sponsored by: JU Political Science Dept, ACLU, NAACP Contact: Bobby Nord 904 396-9627 X11 or Dr. Stephen Baker 904 744-3950 x7219
Saturday Sept 28, 2002 7 PM ET	West Palm Beach	Carefree Theater 2000 South Dixie Highway	Sponsored by: We All Count, American Civil Liberties Union, Americans For Democratic Action, Florida Alliance For Retired Americans, Florida NOW, National Association For the Advancement of Colored Persons, Palm Beach County Young Democrats, Thurgood Marshall Democratic Club, Whimsy Political Clearing House. Contact: Katherine Kelly 561 655-5600 or Barbara Devane 850 251-4280
Sunday Sept 29, 2002 7 PM ET	Belle Glade	TBD	TBD
Monday Sept 30, 2002 7 PM ET	Ft. Lauderdale	Florida Atlantic University Davie campus http://www.broward.fau.edu	Sponsored by: Rock the Vote and and Liberty and Justice for All Contact: Christina Cemansky 561 818-7171
Tuesday Oct 15, 2002 TBA	Hollywood, CA	The Directors Guild Theatre 7920 Sunset Blvd
Wednesday Oct 16, 2002 TBA	San Francisco, CA	Location TBA

Film Festivals

New York Independent Film and Video Festival City Cinema Village East 181 Second Ave at 12th st	New York City	Thursday Sept 19, 2002 6 PM ET
Gulf Coast Film Festival http://www.gulfcoastfilmfest.com	Houston, Texas	Sunday Sept 22, 2002 12:35 PM CT
Empire State Film Festival http://www.empirefilm.com	Albany, NY	Sunday Sept 22, 2002 7 PM ET
Roguefest Film Festival	San Antonio, TX	Friday - Sunday Sept 27, 2002 - Sept 29, 2002
Port Townsend Film Festival	Washington	Friday - Sunday Sept 27, 2002 - Sept 29, 2002
Mill Valley, Ca. Film Festival San Rafael Film Center in San Rafael	San Rafael, CA	Saturday Oct 5, 2002 11:15 AM PT Wednesday Oct 9, 2002 9:15 PM PT
Denver Film Festival http://www.denverfilm.org	Denver, CO	Tuesday Oct 16, 2002 6:30 PM MT
Vermont International Film Festival http://www.vtiff.org	Burlington, VT	Thursday - Sunday Oct 24, 2002 - Oct 27, 2002
Sacramento Film and Music Festival http://www.sactofilmfest.com	Sacramento, CA	Friday - Saturday Oct 25, 2002 - Oct 26, 2002
American Film Institute (AFI)Film Festival http://www.afi.com/AFIFEST/2002	Hollywood, CA	Thursday - Sunday Nov 7, 2002 - Nov 17, 2002

Press Reports

Miami Herald

Associated Press

Bradenton Herald

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

[weegee]

looks like only the AFI is interested in showing this after election day. I wonder if it will be on a double bill with some other propaganda. Perhaps The Eternal Jew or Triumph of the Will.

[weegee]

At least the "AP" story stated that it was heavily biased:

Although the highly partisan film accused Republicans of "stealing" the election, the directors also said the Gore campaign should have been more concerned with counting every vote, instead of merely finding the necessary votes to win the election.

[anniegetyourgun]

These folks will never get over it. But amazingly enough, when their prez is about to be impeached they were so ready to "move on."

[Teacher317]

but of course the DNC knew exactly how that lie would play in the inner cities where they frightened young children so much, these children cried...fearing the President Bush would make them slaves.

I can personally affirm this. My black students said it repeatedly when the election fiasco was still undecided. I even asked them if they were enslaved when his father, GHWB #41, was president... and they said YES!

NEVER underestimate the power of emotional control over child-like minds.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

I don't know how to respond to their tactics....to frighten children to that extent for power's sake...how could they have fallen so far? David Horowitz gives many other examples of terrified and confused children who were told by the Democratic Party that Republicans were evil racists, slavemasters and bad. That's terrorism, bearing false witness, child abuse. Love thy neighbor?
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