As someone who votes, In order to better represent the society that we are, I officially request the following issues in American domestic policy be addressed:
As someone who votes, In order to better represent the society that we are, I officially request the following issues in American domestic policy be addressed:
The American Public, in my view, is crippled by fear. For me, nothing is more telling than this fact: While writing this letter, I shared my many drafts with numerous others that I encountered. Many supported the sentiment and activism of this letter but even those who supported my efforts made sure to warn me that I will end up on some secret government watch list as a result of having written this letter. They made jokes about my future flight plans and laughed about me disappearing into the darkness one night, never to be seen again. I laughed too. I laughed because I still believe in America and I have great hope that a letter, as benign as mine, has its place in this Democracy. Perhaps they warned me correctly and perhaps my future flight travels will be more complicated now. Time will tell. What I find most compelling is that many people believe that the government retaliates against acts of Democracy. A community that lives with this type of silent fear cannot thrive. If we do not thrive, we cease to be "the best and the brightest" and we lose our place in the global community. The common thread in American discourse is the relentless series of disappointments the current administration as well as previous administrations have subjected us to. Today, the majority of Americans fall into two categories of trust: Those who believe nothing the government says and those that believe the government lies to us for our own good. We don't know whom to believe. Its time you, our elected government, extend an olive branch to the people—a show of faith: Give the people a reason to believe that government can be a force of good in this harsh reality we now live in.
It is with this in mind, that I request the following:
- Revoke executive confidentiality for all previous and current presidential records. Release those records into public domain. It's time we have fewer questions and more answers from our government. With the release of this information epic speculation can be put to rest and as a country we can begin to come to terms with the truths that have been obscured by bureaucracy and misguided government protection.
- Re-define the war powers act of 1973: America has not officially declared war since 1942 when World War II first began. If Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq are not considered official wars then I feel certain that clearer definitions for "what is war" and "who has the power to declare war" are long overdue.
- Address the validity of signing statements on public record and determine a precedent our children will accept from their president. The most damaging aspects of the current administration are the precedents they have set for our future. Precedent is not a mere word. Precedent dictates the future our children will inhabit and is of the utmost importance to a functioning Democracy. We use these standards to communicate with future generations. Signing statements effectively ignore what we know to be Democracy. As such, they are an abuse of presidential power and this should be documented and denounced for all future generations to come.
- It is time our congress address executive privilege and national security claims. If we must grant such luxuries to our president elect then it is fair for us to determine a precedent that is acceptable to a functional government. We must also determine how much of this luxury we extend to previous presidents and cabinet members.
- Abolish the color-coded terror threat alert system. If government employs honesty to best inform the people then by default the people will understand the threats they face as a country. Casting blanket alerts into the daily lives of all Americans forces them to adapt so that they may handle the reality of constant fear. In this environment, even our best days are still "green." In effect our government is guilty of "crying wolf." The public no longer registers appropriate fear. Most of the public lives with constant anxiety or have become numb to the existence of fear. Neither of those emotions manifests as a healthy society.
- File an executive order, which re-sends all of George W. Bush's executive orders. The current administration has abused our constitution by exploiting loopholes in places the founding fathers assumed to be sacred. This abuse led to the vast expansion of presidential powers and leaves the government unbalanced. We must restore the checks and balances that Democracy is supposed to be built upon.
- Restore "Habeas Corpus." Without this can we truly call ourselves Americans? Recently the Supreme Court upheld the right to "Habeas Corpus" for enemy combatants being held in Guantanamo Bay. While I feel compelled to commend the court for once again aligning the country as a whole with it’s founding principals, I am mindful that the language used by the court in this decision questioned the relevance of this principal. I must simply say that in America "Habeas Corpus" will always be relevant.
- Abolish the term "enemy combatants." Thus far this term has been used to unlawfully strip the citizens of this world of their rights. The application of this term has, thus far, destroyed lives and broken the system of justice this country employs.
- Defend the Military, FBI, CIA, and the Federal and State government by providing computer systems that are current and powerful. I understand that this endeavor would be costly but, in 2008, efficiency and accuracy is defined by how relevant the computer systems that you employ actually are. Today, the world movement is happening in cyber space. If you cannot keep up, this fact will come at the cost of your purpose. We have long been told of the cutting edge technologies that are employed throughout every branch of the American defense system. The computer systems that I am referring to are the systems that process the information—that is the glue holding our country together. Lower level computers process every in-between step in government data collections, justice proceedings, civilian services, and military operations. The information collected by Homeland Security, the DMV, the FBI, the highway patrol, the police, and the CIA are cross referenced through information input to a massive web of computers. How accurate those correlations are made–how fast that transfer of information happens—how safely that information is displayed, travels or is stored is dependent on the computer system that processes the information. On a civilian level, I can say that people who need government help, pay the price for that help by standing countless hours in long lines, gathering their personal documents, proving themselves to strangers, showing up to appointments with three hour waits, searching for records, and listening to employee after employee tell them that they are denied of one service or another while having just finished a 3 to 4 month waiting process. Government is full of excuses, and so many of those excuses seem to be computer related. "OOops!" isn’t good enough anymore. Give these employees of government what they need to keep us safe, train them well, enforce fairness, and then get out of their way. We need to be better at making government more efficient and making our people less afflicted with unnecessary anxiety—sooner rather than later.
- Defend the "Separation of Church and State." I would not mislead you by implying that I am religious, even though religious affiliation is not a requirement for citizenship in America. I suspect that the founding fathers understood best that religious freedom is imperative to a functional Democracy even if it requires defending the absence of religion in some cases. As a country we are comprised of every religion. We ARE the melting pot. This dynamic is part of America's unique beauty. Within every religion there lies a faction of fanaticism. This small minority believes that they are implementing God’s will by enforcing religion as a subtle and, at times, aggressive mandate. The constitution and the bill of rights, as they are written, protect the rights of the fanatics, the devout, the Easter and Christmas congregation, and those who do not choose religion. Defend these rights. They are part of what makes this country great.
- Defend Americans’ rights to unionize. Had the government been more stringent in their protections of unions we might not have seen the fatalities and injuries in America’s mines that we have seen in recent years. When we protect the rights to unionize, we ensure higher "quality of life" standards and promote the independence of America’s work force. The more independent the work force—the smaller the price tag of government support. Unions make America strong.
- Mandate the swearing in of all Congressional testimony. It is my belief that any and all testimony before congress should be fully sworn and be subject to the same laws that govern perjury. When congress requests testimony it should be conducted in a manner that validates the importance and authority that is afforded this branch of government by the constitution. I see no benefit in doing it any other way.
- Enforce Congress’ powers of "inherent contempt" against Karl Rove, Harriet Miers, Joshua Bolten and Vice President Cheney's Chief of Staff David Addington for refusing Congressional subpoenas. The power of Congress to inquire is imperative to "checks and balances" and must be protected.
- Has the time come for Congress to be drug tested? I am not a proponent of drug testing but insurance companies drug test applicants and corporations determine workers compensation benefits only following the results of mandatory drug tests. If this is the standard the average citizen is subjected to then perhaps it is time that Congress aspires to these same standards. Drug and sex scandals have become commonplace in Congress and what I find offensive is not the drugs or the sex. Instead I am offended that in each case we learn that those officials were adamantly pushing through legislation, which condemned the average citizen for the very same acts. We have trusted you. You have disappointed us. Perhaps now Congress should self-impose these measures as an act of atonement.
- No more profit from war. We continue to live in a society where war is pushed further and further, in the name of Democracy, for the sake of making more money. Corporations such as Haliburton, The Carlyle Group, and Blackwater have seen record growth in this time of war. Lives are lost or ruined while record profits are recorded by the war industry and it’s participants. This is unacceptable. Removing the motivation to pursue war will, by default, remove any ill intentioned agendas by war supporters. We must place the lives we have brought into this world above profit.
- Reasonable gun reform. Let me begin by saying I’m from the South and am all too aware of people’s love for their guns. I agree with the Supreme Court’s recent decision that the 2nd amendment guarantees the right to own firearms. However, I do not agree that society does not have the right to impose legal obligations to those rights. I have no desire to see government disturb the basic rights of American citizens to own guns. I am also aware that guns do not shoot people and that it is people who shoot people. I agree that this belief holds true. If this is the case then why have we not dealt with this inherent problem? People who own guns should be required to pass competency exams that speak to their ability to use a gun correctly as well as their ability to comprehend right from wrong. Young gun owners should be required to complete a competency exam and have the permission of their parents to own a gun. Parents, at least in part, should be legally responsible for the actions their children take when wielding a firearm. I believe in safety mechanisms because I think that we are not perfect people. The unfortunate truth is that mistakes that involve guns often cost lives. I also believe in background checks because I understand that people buy guns for many reasons: some buy for recreation, some buy for admiration, some buy for the sake of history, some buy for sport, and some buy because they have too much pain and their last resort is to share their pain or end their pain. Last but not least, I believe people who choose semi-automatic guns cause more harm then the average gun owner. We don’t need guns on the street that are more powerful than the guns we provide our police force. It just doesn’t make sense. Reasonable gun reform acknowledges that we are not all good people and that ignorance often leads to the misuse of guns. Reasonable gun reform serves the interests and rights of all the people.
- Enforce the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. Monopolies, mergers and acquisitions are a constant in modern American society, often resulting in less competition that allows corporations to dictate to the masses what they will buy, as opposed to allowing the market dictate to the corporations what will be sold. A free market requires competition so that it may also be fair. If the market does cease to benefit society, the market will lose its value to the people. What is the worth of a market, if the people can no longer participate? Honor the free market—allow it to thrive by enforcing fairness, regulation, and competition so that the market and the people share success together.
- A new plan for mandatory service for every American. It’s time that we instill pride and knowledge in the generations to come. Mandatory Service for the "honor of service"—to foster more life and less death. There is no need that service positions be limited to military positions. In addition to the opportunities provided by Americorp and the Peacecorp, this program of compulsory service should provide opportunities in all fields including: Science, Economics, Relief missions, Humanitarian missions, Domestic poverty assistance, government archives, libraries, colleges, infrastructure maintenance, government departments, relief missions, as well as Research and Development. Fostering genuine patriotism in the generations to come will insure the strength of our union.
- American Infrastructure is failing. The ASCE estimates that "$1.6 trillion is needed over a five-year period to bring the nation's infrastructure to a good condition." To be clear, American Infrastructure includes: aviation, bridges, dams, drinking water, parks and recreation, roads, railways, transit, schools, security, solid waste, wastewater, and energy. It’s the glue that holds us together. Problems with infrastructure manifest as dirty water, falling bridges, weak dams, stifled commutes, worn roadways, delayed flights, and black-outs. A healthy infrastructure not only ensures convenience but also has the original intent of keeping us safe and healthy. If our nation is allowed to evolve crippled and not strong then what ARE the ideals that we fight to uphold?
- I formally request that the next president and those responsible for making laws sign public statements agreeing to work MORE and vacation LESS. If the American economy, education system, environment, military, and foreign relations didn’t seem to be spiraling out of control at such an alarming rate, I might not be so offended that Congress considers a five day work week to be an advancement in their commitment to Democracy. I probably wouldn’t be so offended that the last congress felt that three workdays per week was enough to validate their love for our country. I would even be less offended that our most current president spent 879 days to date on vacation over the course of 8 years. Yet, I am offended. America has seen a steady decline on every front and you, those we pay to lead us, have felt all too comfortable with planning your vacations and parties for raising money. Most average American workers can’t even identify with the notion of vacation. It is beyond their means and opportunity. I am offended but more I am disappointed. The world at large continues to be stressed by our neglect and our absence in our own affairs and world affairs. You must rectify this by working harder than you have ever worked. You must go to the people and declare your intensions to be better than you have been for the sake of Democracy.