IT IS LEGAL TO INTIMIDATE POLITICAL CANDIDATES

We have a serious problem with out democracy. I believe there is a logical way to correct the problem at a fundamental level. The problem is that radical groups have found a way to corrupt our electoral process. The radical groups are identifiable by association them with their leaders. Wayne LaPierre, Grover Norquist, Karl Rove, and Jim DeMint are examples.

The response to the Newtown shooting planted the germ of the idea in my mind. Someone said something like  the NRA “operates like a protection racket”. I quickly expanded the sweep of this thought to include several other organizations. Here is the basis for the associations with racketeering or organized crime. The NRA goes to a politician and tells him or her to vote a certain way or, here is what I see as the crime, the organization will come to their district and “primary” them, meaning they will pick and fund a candidate to oppose you in your elections. They threaten them with destroying their political career. In my mind, this is equivalent to a small group of criminals, a neighborhood gang, going to small store and telling the owner if they do not pay protection, they will destroy the story.

Why is this illegal and not just politics? The basic objective of our system is to have a representative form of government—all the people and not some organization from outside the legislative district and State select your representative. We usually think in terms of the voter but a much more forceful, fruitful, and effective way is to influence the election outcome. It is illegal to go to a voter’s home or the polling place and intimidate them. Why should it be legal to intimidate a candidate or a politician?

A brief reading of the RICO Act makes it clear that for an organization doing the very same thing the NRA is doing to politicians is criminal.  The purpose of the law is to prevent corruption from happening.     

Traditionally, obtaining or extorting money illegally or carrying on illegal business activities, usually by Organized Crime . A pattern of illegal activity carried out as part of an enterprise that is owned or controlled by those who are engaged in the illegal activity. The latter definition derives from the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corruption Organizations Act (RICO), a set of laws (18 U.S.C.A. § 1961 et seq. [1970]) specifically designed to punish racketeering by business enterprises.

Isn’t it time the people of the United States stop Karl Rove, Grover Norquist, Jim DeMint, and others from destroying our democracy—or does an 8% approval rating of Congress fit your idea of good government.