Friday, September 29, 2006

My Letter to Senator Lieberman

Dear Senator Lieberman,

How could you? How could you vote in favor of S3930? No matter how it is spun, this bill will legitimize torture, deny habeas corpus, and allow the criminal behavior of the Executive branch to go unpunished.

S3930 is not ethical, not moral, and completely un-American.

While it's clear that the Bush Administration concocted S3930 - and insisted on its swift passage - so that it could be a political ping-pong ball up until November 7th. This explains the behavior of six of the eleven Democrats who voted for S3930 (and the two Republicans who voted against it); you are running for re-election on security platforms. And I've heard people explain that the law is so flawed that it may not survive a court challenge. Which means to any intelligent observer that this bill is intended for rhetoric alone.

Which begs the question: how dare politicians make a game out of my civil rights?

Yesterday was a shameful day for the United States. Despite your vote for the Specter Amendment, I consider your eventual vote for S3930 as a disgrace. Our feckless President and his dangerous advisors have used the tragedy of 9/11 to drive our country further into paranoid brutality. Why are you Democrats in Congress helping them?

I should emphasize that I have long been a supporter of you and other moderate Democrats. Al Gore was my Senator when I lived in Tennessee and I was a paid and proud member of the DLC (until my job required me to sever ties to overt political groups). My personal politics places me squarely in your 'base.' And yet, I find this law disgraceful. The entire conduct of the Bush Administration vis-à-vis 'homeland security' and 'the war on terror' has been disgraceful.

You have the reputation of being a man of conscience. You stood up and reproved President Clinton - a man I admire - for his acts of adultery and perjury. He was wrong, you were right. Yet, as bad as adultery is, torture is worse! Perjury is a crime against justice, but suspending habeas corpus is worse!

I am disappointed in your behavior as my representative.

Sincerely,
[The Styx]

1 comment:

Special Ed said...

I don't see you as the kind of guy who is gonna get arrested for plotting terrorist attacks. And if you do, we should get to slap you around, just cause you were trying to kill me.