Just sent this to Richard Burr (R-NC):
I have written to you before in a similar instance where
you ignored the Constitution and sided with the President.
It was when you voted for the Military Commissions Act of
2007 which unconstitutionally allows the President to hold
secret military trials in which the defendants have
basically no rights whatsoever. The argument you will
probably use is that such secrecy helps the President keep
Americans safe. If this is true, then amend the
Constitution and Bill of Rights instead of just ignoring
it as you have with S. 2248 (Protect America Act). This
is the reason I am writing you today. Not only have you
granted the President the ability to eavesdrop on the
conversations of law abiding Americans without a warrant,
but to add insult to injury, you have granted retroactive
immunity from criminal prosecution to telecommunications
companies which obviously broke the law or they would need
no immunity.
I am not sure if you will be running to represent N.C.
again in the U.S. Senate. While I applaud some of your
stands and certain votes you have made, most of your votes
have been in favor of unconstitutional increases in the
size of federal government. Usually the excuse is that
such increases are necessary to keep Americans safe.
Isn't this the same argument the British were using during
the colonial era which sparked Patrick Henry to declare in
the church in Appamattox, "Give me liberty, or give me
death!"?
Whether or not ignoring the Constitution is the best idea
because it keeps us safe, how can you reconcile your oath
of office with your actions since assuming that office?
You swore an oath to defend and uphold the CONSTITUTION,
not George W. Bush's very un-Republican expansion of
federal government.
You are a member of Congress that has failed, along with
99% of the rest, to honor your oath of office. At one
point, I would have considered voting for you because of
the few (and I stress few) stands you have taken against
the dissolution of our civil liberties. That time has
passed. I must admit that a big-tax, big-spend,
socialistic democrat who respects civil liberties would be
a preferrable choice to you, sir. This is coming from
someone who understands deeply the problems with the
socialist movement and the flaws in liberal ideaology. I
am a die hard conservative. I charge that you, sir, are
not, or you would have done your best to conserve the
original intent of the Constitution.
The leadership of the Republican party is talking about
the impact that Ron Paul has made. The GOP leadership is
realizing that they cannot possibly continue to win
elections without appealing to those libertarian-leaning
true conservatives. Besides Ron Paul, our choices in this
Presidential election are between Amnesty-Campaign Finance
Reform McCain and Tax Hike subsidies for Illegals
Huckabee. Abandon the conservative principles that has
kept the Republican Party alive, Goldwater conservatism,
and naturally the party is going to fall apart. Despite
numerous attempts by the GOP establishment to marginalize
or thwart Ron Paul's campaign, he has managed to win 2nd
in some very RED states.
I realize you're a busy man, so I will close by saying
that tyranny is ancient, and freedom and liberty are very
new in this world. Will you stand with the founders who
would be absolutely disgusted that their Constitutional
amendment process is totally ignored? Or will you stand
with the despots of both parties who have decided big
government is all fine and dandy, as long as they have
some control over it? History will record the decisions
that you and others make.
Thank you for your time and what service you have done.
From a freedom loving American patriot whose skin crawls
when his elected leaders ignore their oaths, that's
probably the nicest thing I can say.