Urge Amendment or Presidential Veto on S. 1867

By mgschultz|Activism|Be the first to comment!

ACLU: Tell Congress

**********
Dear Senator Levin,

I am shocked and abhorred at your decision to craft and champion the detainee provisions to the Defense Authorization Act. As one of your enthusiastic constituents I view your decision to be a betrayal of my democratic values which hold in high esteem our practice of due process, separation of powers, and distrust of Executive authority.

How you could be so naive to think that these provisions could withstand abuse by the Executive branch is beyond me. We have plenty of precedents in this country – the internment of Japanese-American citizens being one well-repudiated example.

Perhaps you have been in office far too long, and like so many others, slowly but surely become dulled to the fundamental needs, wishes, rights, and good-natures of your constituency. As for me, I am braver than you sir, and believe that we can defeat the threat of terrorism on our soil through constructive dialogue and community engagement rather than military force and the stripping of legal protections.

Barring a public reversal of your position on this legislation I hereby withdraw my support for you. Not that I anticipate that mattering to you at this late stage in your career. As one of the younger generation, you have my thanks for diminishing my freedoms and those of my children.

Unsigned

**********
Mr. President,

I am writing as a Michigan voter and first-term supporter.

I want to express my support for the Administration’s Statement of Policy (dated Nov. 17th, 2011) on the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2012.

Consistent with the Administration’s opposition, I would urge the President to veto the Act due to the detainee provisions – particularly those outlined in Section 1032 regarding Executive authority to indefinitely detain American citizens without due process of law.

I have already written my Senator (D-Carl Levin) to express my disgust and disappointment in his decision to craft and pioneer these provisions behind closed doors. He will no longer be receiving my vote.

This Act is a vote-breaker for me. Please do what is right. Continue to uphold our system of checks and balances and rule of law, and you will have my vote.

Respectfully,