(Mark met John Bonifaz at a Democratic event in Hudson, MA, and was impressed. We invited him to write a guest post for the blog. -- Ofer)

Thereisnospoon's Diary at DailyKos says we should take a stand. He (or she) is right. It is easy to be against something. That is not the same as being for something. Being against something just means that someone else sets the agenda to which we must react. We become the tail of the dog.

It is time to be the dog. We must take stands. Come out for single payer health care. When the right says bad things about it, say, "How can you be against everyone having health care?" Do not let them weasel out with "market pressures", "taxes", or some other diluting excuse. Keep hitting them with the "How can you be against?"

Ok, so I oversimplify.

Back to the original point. When I graduated college and paid my first serious income taxes, I became a Republican. That lasted until George Bush the elder beat Michael Dukakis. For a number of reasons, I switched to independent. While maintaining my independent status I voted pretty much party line Democrat. Two months ago, I registered Democrat and was nominated to the Hudson Massachusetts Democratic Town Committee (the people who become delegates to the conventions, hold signs near the polls, put signs up on lawns etc).

Why the switch? Let me use the words of one of my new associates on the Democratic Town Committee, "you want to see things happen." Yes, I want to see things happen, and I am not going to leave it up to chance or the Republicans. I took my first stand.

At the last DTC meeting, we had a guest speaker, John Bonifaz. John is a candidate for Massachusetts Secretary of State. He is also an attorney fighting for fair elections. He has received, in my opinion, the highest compliment a pro-election reform candidate can receive: Representative John Conyers Jr. (D-MI) has endorsed his candidacy.

Having just finished Mark Crispin Miller's Book "Fooled Again," I felt comfortable with the issues of Ohio's stolen election so I asked Mr. Bonifaz the tough questions. He did not blush. He knew the issues, understood the issues and answered my questions. I asked him if he thought the Secretary of State should chair a presidential candidate's campaign. By his chuckle, I could tell He knew exactly what I was talking about. Then he mentioned Ken Blackwell by name and insisted that the role of Secretary of State must remain neutral.
Hurray!

At the end of his talk, he came over and thanked me for the tough questions. I volunteered to help. I will be calling delegates before the June convention. I took my second stand.

My third stand will be literal. If Mr. Bonifaz gets on the ballot, look for me Saturdays this fall at the traffic circle in downtown Hudson.  I will be the one holding the Bonifaz signs.

Mark Durrenberger
Hudson, MA