Someone will always be oppressed.  In the US, there is limited oppression at this point.  Some people will always feel oppressed and it can't be helped.  This is why: Majority rules and minority follows.  That is how republics and democracies work.  On the other hand, in communist nations, monarchies, dictatorships, etc., the minority rules and the majority is oppressed.  It isn't fair, but it is reality.  It doesn't mean you have to change if you are the minority in a republic, you just have to wait until the day you are part of the majority and practice your right to still be heard.  If, however, you are in the majority of a dictatorship, you can either rebel or wait for help that might never come.

My point to all of those who are living in a free nation and feel oppressed, remember your rights and feel lucky you have them.

When I speak of minority I mean minority opinion.  Calling a group a minority race or group is not to say that an individual is in the minority politically or even socially.  So when I say the majority rules in a republic like the US or democracy I mean the majority opinion rules.  This means no one can be elected without a majority of the votes (except the president, which is not an elected office and was never designed to be).  In my opinion, the minority opinion is wrong (like I might be about that?). :)  Here is my reasoning.  People are all given the ability to reason and make a decision (all "men" created equal).  So if all of those reasonable people are polled, the majority opinion is the correct opinion at that time.  Later that number might change and it reflects a change in the majority opinion over time with conditions.  That would force the minority to be wrong under the conditions of the poll.  But the fewer the number polled the less accurate the poll is.  Also, the closer the poll is the less right the majority opinion is.  That is why 1/3 of the population voting is good, but not nearly as good as everybody voting like they do in some countries.

    This is why so many people support federalism and a weaker national government like we started with in the late 1780's.  Then differences by region wouldn't be important.  In some areas this year, the majority locally lost nationally.  But the reasons and solutions have been debated for over 200 years and nothing has been done yet.  Since we have this system, though, that is why it is so important to listen to the minority opinion.  If conditions are slightly different, they may become the majority opinion.  They may even change their opinion as members of the majority change theirs.

So, my conclusion is that in the 2000 presidential elector selection process (popularly but incorrectly called the election) neither the majority or minority was more or less correct in their rational decision.  In 2004, the majority was slightly more right than the minority.  Both groups made their opinion based on rational thinking (with a little emotion thrown in).  The minority opinion is then oppressed by the majority, but not shut up by the majority.  The minority opinion must always be heard but never followed in a democracy, unless that opinion becomes the majority opinion.

    But in the end it doesn't matter.  In 4 years conditions may change and shift the rational conclusions people make.  There will be new candidates with new opinions.  And it will all start again.  Presidential campaigns are like monster movies.  Just when you think the last one is over, another one lands from somewhere in space...