Why I Will Not Be Voting In the 2024 Presidential Election

Fred Bates - Tuesday, October 29, 2024 

Our system of government is corrupt and dysfunctional, and I refuse to give it legitimacy by 

casting my vote

On November 5th, I will not be voting in the 2024 Presidential Election, just as I haven't voted in any recent elections. One of my primary reasons for not voting is that this country is a joke! I mean this in all sincerity. During this election cycle, both presidential campaigns have spent a great deal of time on hateful rhetoric that has overshadowed their policy proposals. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr said, "let no man drag you so low as to hate him." He also said we must learn to live together as brothers, or we will perish together as fools. It appears that the Republican and Democrat parties have decided to dishonor Dr. King's legacy by being fools with their hateful rhetoric that is clearly destroying our nation. 

Democrats are making the claim that Donald Trump is an existential threat to democracy, and Republicans are saying the same about Kamala Harris. Both parties are wrong. Democracy is not on the ballot this year and has not been on the ballot for years because of widespread public corruption. What I find so disappointing is that many Americans appear to be buying into this rhetoric by both parties when it comes to this fraudulent claim about democracy being on the ballot. The lack of civility by both parties during this election cycle disgusts me. I want no part of this embarrassment. 

It's not that I have a thing against voting. I have a more personal reason for not voting as well. Not voting is my form of non-violent protest against the racist and discriminatory manner in which I have been treated by San Jose city officials, the US District Court in San Jose, and the 9th Court of Appeals; and the refusal of Congress and other authorities with the responsibility of oversight to do anything about it. This entire blog has been devoted to exposing the appalling conduct of these officials during litigation of three federal lawsuits I filed against the City of San Jose for discrimination based on my race and disability. I'm black/African American. So far, I have not been able to get any government officials at any level to open an investigation into my allegations that these officials committed several public corruption crimes, many of them felonies. Here are some of the officials I have made formal complaints to, all to no avail: former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, former Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Jerry Nadler, former Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Bob Goodlatte, former Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff, Senator Lindsey Graham, Senator Chuck Grassley, Senator Dianne Feinstein, VP and former Senator Kamala Harris, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Inspector General Michael Horowitz, former Attorney General William Barr, Chief Justice John Roberts, former Chief Judge of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Sidney R. Thomas, Santa Clara County California District Attorney Jeff Rosen, and the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury. This, however, is not a complete list of all the officials I have made complaints to regarding the misconduct of San Jose city officials and the federal courts.

As you can see, the officials that have failed to take action on my complaints are Democrats and Republicans. Not a single one has had the integrity or courage to provide oversight of the corrupt 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and the US District Court in San Jose for their egregious misconduct that has undermined democracy, and the rule of law. This is governmental corruption at its worst. It does not matter who wins the presidency, or which party takes control of the House and Senate, it will not save democracy. Democracy simply cannot flourish if our judiciary operate with no accountability and refuses to adhere to the rule of law and precedent. However, I acknowledge that democracy cannot exist without an independent judiciary. But democracy requires a balance between an independent judiciary and oversight of the judiciary that provides accountability. This principle applies to all three branches of government. So far, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and the US District Court in San Jose have treated me with the same lack of regard for my constitutional rights as Bull Connor did for black voting rights activists in Birmingham in 1963. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and the US District Court have engaged in misconduct with impunity. I refuse to give legitimacy to a corrupt system of government by casting my vote. Below are links to some of my other blog posts that provide details about the misconduct of San Jose city officials and the federal courts:

A Cheating Scandal in the Silicon Valley - Justice for Sale: The Backstory to My Lawsuits Against the City of San Jose! (crnctz.blogspot.com)

A Cheating Scandal in the Silicon Valley - Justice for Sale: San Jose City Officials and Federal Court Officials Engaged in Criminal Misconduct During Litigation of My Lawsuits Against the City (crnctz.blogspot.com)

THE MATTER OF OFFICER PHIL WHITE'S TWEETS AND THE HYPOCRISY OF SAN JOSE MAYOR SAM LICCARDO

Post 8/23

If you are a resident of San Jose California, you might know about the scandal involving some controversial tweets by San Jose police officer Phil White in response to the Black Lives Matter movement. Many activists and City officials interpret the tweets as threatening and perhaps racist. Officer White was fired from the police department after an uproar by several community members last July. Recently, Officer White was reinstated  as a result of arbitration. Of course, many in the local media have covered this matter. However, my post refers to two recent articles by a local Metro newspaper, San Jose Inside (SJI). Here are the links for the two articles so you can judge the matter for youself:

http://www.sanjoseinside.com/2016/02/26/sjpds-white-privilege-problem/

http://www.sanjoseinside.com/2016/03/08/activists-urge-council-to-appeal-officer-whites-reinstatement/

The purpose of this post is to address the hypocrisy of San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo and San Jose Inside. They have been quick to condemn  Officer White for his tweets. They supported Officer White's firing, and they oppose his reinstatement. Yet, for the past five plus years, Mayor Liccardo and the San Jose City Council have refused to initiate an investigation into my discrimination complaints against the San Jose City Attorney's Office. SJI has refused to do a story on my case, even though I presented them with indisputable evidence of criminal misconduct by San Jose city officials and the federal courts. Here is a comment I posted in reply to SJI's article regarding Officer White's reinstatement. My comment was posted briefly but was removed. So far, I can't re-post it. Therefore, I am posting it here:

Comment:

Mayor Liccardo coming out against Officer Phil White getting his job back is no surprise. It was predictable. All of this phony concern about White’s tweets is laughable. This is political grandstanding at its worst, apparently an attempt to show that the City does not tolerate bias and racism. Which is not true. Mayor Liccardo and the City Council have a lot more to worry about than those tweets by Officer White. They have their own issues with discrimination, as well as public corruption. The NAACP and other community activists have every right to be critical of White’s tweets. But, if they are serious about issues related to discrimination against blacks/African Americans, I suggest that they ask the Mayor and City Council to respond publicly to the lawsuits I filed against the City for discrimination related to my disability retirement from the police department.  There has been a criminal cover-up of this matter by the Mayor and other top city officials, with help from the federal courts. It is quite clear that the City has a double standard when it comes to enforcing its policies relating to discrimination and the City’s Code of Ethics. Rank and file police officers are held to a higher standard than top city officials. Over the last five years, I filed numerous complaints with the top city officials against the San Jose City Attorney’s Office and three former police administrators for discrimination and criminal misconduct relative to a lawsuit I filed against the City. Not a single one of my complaints have been investigated, as is mandated by city policy. This scandal with the tweets by Officer White pales in comparison with the Bull Connor like manner in which I have been treated by Mayor Liccardo, the City Council and several other City officials. The mistreatment I endured was a flagrant violation of my constitutional rights, and was nothing more than a high-tech lynching. SJI and the rest of the local media lap dogs for the City should be ashamed for not reporting my story. Apparently they are okay with City officials discriminating against a black police officer. But any opportunity to disingenuously portray a police officer as being a racist or violating a person’s rights, they are all over it. So who is more unfit for their job, Officer White or Mayor Liccardo and the City Council? If you want to read about a real scandal, check out the following links: https://www.facebook.com/groups/624131267713226/

www.opnlttr.com/letter/open-letter-san-jose-mayor-sam-licardo-and-city-council

http://crnctz.blogspot.com/2015/08/exposing-cover-up-of-cheating-scandal.html

A new lawsuit I recently filed against Mayor Liccardo, the City Council and the City of San Jose in US District Court has not yet been included in the above links. The case number is 15-cv-5729-EJD. You can look it up in PACER.

Fred Bates – retired sergeant, SJPD