I'm increasingly incensed by the actions of the Bush Administration. The amount of impropriety is staggering. A friend recently asked How many felonies does it take... to impeach a president?, and, frankly, I'm starting to wonder that, too. As such, I've just sent off email to my US Rep (Tom Davis) and my US Senators (Webb and Warner) outlining my concerns with the direction this Administration seems intent on taking us.
Following is the email letter that I submitted to my duly elected officials:
Subject: Help Correct the Course of the CountryDear
, I'm gravely concerned by the direction the Administration has been taking lately. It's not that I've been particularly enamored by their decisions over the past 6 years anyway, but it seems to me that they've given up trying to do the right thing, and are just caving to special interests in an attempt to ruin this once-great country. It is my hope that you, in representing your constituents (like me), will step forward and help correct the course of the country. It is time that government begin representing The People and start legislating in their (The Peoples') best interest.
Example #1: The Political Firings of US Attorneys
It's quite clear that inappropriate actions have been taken to try to influence US criminal code decisions. This interview with former US Attorney David Iglesias is startling. Even if half of what he says were to be assumed as untrue, it represents a significant body of evidence that cannot be ignored.
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/05/14/1426254Example #2: The Copyright Review Board Ruling on Internet Streaming Royalties
Please support the Internet Radio Equality Act. Full details on this issue are available from the following sites:
http://www.savenetradio.org/
http://www.eff.org/IP/fairuse/Example #3: The DOJ's Current Anti-Piracy Push
It seems that the Department of Justice is undertaking a push to tighten copyright laws. What purpose does this serve? While the copyright concept is vital to all forms of innovation and creativity, there is a limit to its use. For instance, when the desire is to begin criminalizing the thought of crimes where no harm is represented, then why waste the efforts? This issue ties into Example #2 above, where corporate interests are being protected fiercely by the Administration, when the issue should in fact be evaluated from the perspective of determining what is actually in the best interest of all citizens. In addition to copyright concerns, the patent systems needs to be re-evaluated. Why is software patentable? Would you allow a patent on a song? Of course not! Software is no different, and should thus be protected - reasonably - by copyright law.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/05/15/doj_proposes_toughter_copyright_laws/Example #4: The DHS REAL ID Debacle
The REAL ID Act is bad legislation. For one thing, it places expensive requirements on States without providing funding, which is bad form. However, more importantly, under its current design, it does not benefit the citizens. Instead, it greatly increases the value of such an ID for criminals to compromise. We know that IDs for some 9/11 hijackers came from Virginia, and as a result of people being bribed. These new rules don't solve that problem.
http://www.eff.org/Privacy/ID/RealID/
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/05/real_id_action.htmlExample #5: The Guantanamo Bay Farce Trials
The ongoing farcical "war on terrorism" sickens me to no end as our Administration constantly shows a bad face to the world. The US should be demonstrating leadership, humanity, civilization, and propriety. Instead, we kidnap people without evidence, hold them for years without access to legal representation, we torture them in violation of the Geneva Convention (despite the Administration's contention, the very definition of a "prisoner of war" is the capture and holding of an "enemy combatant"), and then put on closed-door trials where evidence that would never be allowed in a real court (hearsay, coerced confessions, tainted evidence) are used to convict these people. And then we're shocked when those who are eventually released return home angry and intent on attacking US interests.The present Administration is creating a negative feedback loop that has spiraled out of control. I urge you to intervene to break the cycle. With freedom comes responsibility. The best solution to this challenge is not to eliminate freedom.
Thank you,
-ben
