Let Gravel Speak! At the Nov. 15 CNN debate

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Author: Elizabeth Cable

Started: November 6, 2007, 6:25:48 pm

Target: CNN, Nevada Democratic Party

Category: Government & Politics

Supporters:

Goal:

100,000

Goal Progress:

Status

Active

Mike Gravel, former Democratic Senator from Alaska and current candidate for the 2008 presidential Democratic nomination, is being excluded from the Presidential debate on November 15th in Las Vegas Nevada. The debate is co-sponsored by the Nevada Democratic Party and the CNN news network, and it will be hosted by Wolf Blitzer. All of the Democratic candidates besides Mike Gravel (Kucinich, Biden, Dodd, Edwards, Richardson, Obama, and Clinton) will be attending the debate.

Senator Mike Gravel met all requirements for this debate, except for one: he has not raised one million dollars. This arbitrary requirement only serves to further the corruption and influence of money in our politics, which is ridiculous considering that most Americans believe that there is already an inordinate emphasis on money in politics. (For example, Chris Dodd has about the same amount of support levels as Mike Gravel, and yet Dodd has raised over $13 million total?)

It is very important, in a Democracy, for all voices to be heard. We should continue to attempt to adhere to this Democratic ideal. And we certainly must not allow media corporations, and others in a position of power, to go directly against this Democratic ideal and thin out our field of candidates before a single vote is even cast.

So, if you value fairness and freedom of speech, and if you do not want a media corporation to decide who your choices for president are, then please sign this petition. And, who knows, your favorite presidential candidate may be the next target of those in power. It's like that old poem of Martin Niemoller's (a prominent German theologian and Lutheran pastor who lived in Germany during Hitler's years in power):

"When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out."