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Announcement :: Civil & Human Rights : Elections & Legislation : Government Secrecy : International Relations : Iraq : Peace : Protest Activity |
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Filling the Congressional Cop-Out Gap: An Idea for Local Peace Groups and Local Peace Activists |
Current rating: 0 |
by Ralph Nader
(No verified email address) |
16 Mar 2005
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A modest proposal that the opinion of the public matters -- and will matter more as the situation in Iraq continues to worsen |
Dear Member of Congress (Representative and two Senators):
According to a Harris poll last month, 59 percent of Americans want US troops brought home within the next year. We are among them. You are not listening to us. Here is what we propose: To meet with you in a public auditorium with the media invited on [insert date]_ when you say you will back in your state (district). We wish to discuss specifically with you the following issues:
1. Do you support continued funding of the Iraq War and occupation without a specific exit strategy and timetable?
2. Will you announce an exit strategy for Iraq?
3. Will you investigate contracting abuses found by DoD auditors regarding the reconstruction of Iraq?
4. Will you investigate the $9 billion dollars unaccounted for in the Coalition Provisional Authority budget in Iraq?
5. How will you hold President Bush accountable to Congress?
If we do not hear favorably from you within a week of your receipt of this email (or letter or fax), we will double the number of signatures and renew the request.
If one week later we do not hear from you, we will again double the number of signatures and present some of us at your local office so you and your staff can meet your constituents.
If a week later we do not hear from you, we will peacefully and diligently street march in front of your local office to secure your attention.
You have often said how much you want to enjoy hearing from your constituents - well, here we are. Please do not take this as a hostile message; rather it is an effort to indicate to you the serious urgency we take to ending the occupation of Iraq and bringing U.S. troops home as soon as possible. Civilians, little children and soldiers are dying or being seriously injured every day.
In the meantime, we would appreciate answers to the following questions:
1. Do you have a summary of Paul Bremer's vast directives which are still the governing authority of Iraq? These include extending Saddam's ban on trade union organizing and allow a U.S. takeover of Iraq businesses.
2. Have you protested to President Bush and Secretary Rumsfeld that they do not officially disclose the injuries to our troops there, diseases and severe mental trauma when they do not occur in combat situations - even if they are evacuated from Iraq? If yes, send us a copy of your letter. If not, why not?
3. Will you sign a simple pledge that henceforth you will vote against any attack on another nation unless Congress itself declares war as required by the U.S. Constitution? See: The United States Constitution's War Powers Clause, Article 1, Section 8, Clause 11.
4. Finally, would you propose a very selective service draft just for the children of members of Congress? The purpose of this request is that such a draft will focus the responsible attention on members of Congress in terms of realistic risks and consequences from the initiation of military hostilities.
Sincerely,
(signed by a group of constituents)
cc: members of the press and many other interested parties
Why don't you and your local anti-war advocates try this out today. The sooner we get serious about pressuring Congress, the sooner the war and occupation of Iraq, the sooner the killing will stop, the sooner our troops will come home.
Ralph Nader is a noted consumer advocate who has worked a wide range of issues including opposing the Iraq War. The column above is based on a blog published on DemocracyRising.US. Comments on this blog are welcomed on the site.
http://www.democracyrising.us |
Related stories on this site:
Nader -- Restarting the Anti-War Movement
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