An Open Letter to our Senators

I was very happy to see that Sen. Boxer of CA and Sen. Harkin of IA showed that they take their job seriously.

I decided I'd do what I could to put some pressure on the rest of the United States Senate. Perhaps they'll grow a spine.

I'm sending the following letter to every U.S. Senator:

Dear Senator,

On Monday, a courageous American stood up on the Senate floor and demonstrated that his sense of duty to his country was more important than partisan politics. That man was Senator Russell D. Feingold of Wisconsin. Sen. Feingold introduced a resolution to censure President George W. Bush for his actions involving the NSA domestic surveillance program. And thus far, only two U.S. Senators have had the courage to stand with him. I would encourage you to do the same.

I applaud these two Senators, who are willing to put country before politics. Sen. Barbara Boxer of California, and Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa, have showed the courage of their convictions. They have taken their oath as Senators, and their patriotic duty as Americans seriously. Can the same be said for you?

Defenders of the President’s actions have suggested that any opposition to anything this administration does is unpatriotic, and gives “comfort and aid to our enemies.” I beg to differ. Tactics such as this are simply intended to discourage dissent, even in the face of obvious wrongdoing. Those that would employ such tactics underestimate the intelligence of the American people, as is evident today. You read the same polls as I do Senator, what are they telling you? The American people have had enough of an administration that thinks it is above the law.

This administration has attempted to build a culture of fear in this country, in the hopes that their illegal activities would go unnoticed, or at least unquestioned. They have continually warned us that our enemies are determined to strike us again, and that any overreaching on their part, any violation of the laws of this country or our Constitution is justified. I believe strongly that the President should do everything within his power (and within the law) to defend the American people. But I will not turn a blind eye to abuses of power by this administration. And I will not be afraid. So I have to ask the question Senator, what are you afraid of? Al Qaeda? Or your President?

This administration and its defenders have suggested that if we question this President’s actions, then our enemies win. I beg to differ. When we give up our Constitutional freedoms, our enemies win. When we are no longer are a nation of laws, our enemies win. When we put political party before country, our enemies win. When the legislative branch of our government becomes a rubber stamp for the President, our enemies win.

The Constitution and the laws of the United States are the glue that holds our country together. They define who we are as a people, and as a nation. They cannot simply be brushed aside at the whim of the President. Perhaps President Abraham Lincoln said it best: “Our safety, our liberty, depends upon preserving the Constitution of the United States as our fathers made it inviolate. The people of the United States are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.”

America is more than just a country, it is an idea. It is the revolutionary idea that defending the rights, and respecting the will of the people, are the sacred responsibilities of the government. It is the idea that “justice for all” means exactly that, and that everyone possesses equal protection under our law. It is the idea that no single person is above the law, even those in the highest offices of the government. And this President needs to be held to the same standard as any other citizen, if the idea of America is going to survive.

But I shouldn’t have to remind you of this. After all, you are a United States Senator. So do me, do yourself, and do your country proud. Start acting like it.

Sincerely...