by Nancy Tobi
SNIP...Then Secretary Gardner explained how we do all of our recounts by hand. How we count the ballots and examine them when necessary for voter intent. And how the paper ballots, the counting, the examination for voter intent, all of it, is done out in the open, in public view. He said that the thing about our hand recounts is that when they are done, people have seen everything. They've seen the ballots; they've seen them be counted. They have a comfort level in that, and they believe in the outcome.
He then said something so profound that the implication of what he said still resounds within me.
The thing with machines, he said, is that people want to trust them. But when the machine makes a mistake, people are unforgiving. They don't know if it was a mistake, or if it was intentional. And they never trust that machine again. They are unforgiving and they lose faith.
But when a person makes a mistake, people forgive that person. They expect humans to make mistakes, and they continue to trust each other even after they make mistakes.
And this is the crux of it.
Once we stop trusting in our elections, we lose our freedom. Once we stop believing in the legitimacy of the outcome, it is no longer legitimate
http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_nancy_to_061229_patriot_s_day_3a_the_r.htm