Alfonse Capone, circa 1935
Capone at Alcatraz
An Open Letter to Congressman Brian Higgins (D-26th, NY) of House Intelligence Committee
Congressman Mr Higgins:
I have voted for you in every primary and general election (until you were re-districted outside my hometown). This evening I heard you on the radio making excuses defending NSA spying on our entire citizenry. Sir, I spent four years of my life defending the principles of our Constitution against all enemies, foreign and DOMESTIC. Today you have colossally failed to do so, here, at home. You are making a bargain with the devil, and I won’t sit by to allow your view to pass without protest. Your excuses are lame. Your defense of this outrageous violation of our principles is unacceptable.
¶ On WBFO radio you cited a disrupted terrorism incident regarding rail service passing through Buffalo. A few lives were probably saved. Great. (At what cost to liberty and treasury was this act prevented?) But we could easily save thousands of lives if legislators would enact more rigorous dwi laws, enforcing driver license suspicion honored throughout our 50 states – suspended in one state, ineligible to apply for license in all 50. (But there’s no campaign money there!) Instead, our legislators, including you, are in bed with Wall Street and Silicon Valley — selling “protection” to us just like Al Capone did to merchants in Chicago. SHAME! Where is your moral compass pointing, Mr Higgins? I’m truly disgusted with both parties and their actions displayed in this wholesale criminal enterprise of spying and protection-bilking. Where is the integrity and courage that was once so honorably American? Edward Snowden seems to be one of few citizens with real courage and vision.
¶ Today I sent a check to the American Civil Liberties Union, as I understand they are suing our government over this outrageous spying activity. The ACLU appear to be the only leaders with sufficient concern to defend our Bill of Rights. You, Sir, are no longer a trusted public servant. In my view, you are serving yourself, and the ultra-wealthy puppet masters who pay for your reelection. Please look into your heart today and question what you stand for. You’re on the House Intelligence Committee. I expect you to be more intelligent. This deal must end.
In the words of Ben Franklin: They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. It’s time to retract the Patriot Act, I say.
Signed,
~eric.
Eric Chaffee, Alden NY
This article tells us that the spinmeisters have not succeeded in dismissing the discussion of the spying topic: CLICK
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/DC-Decoder/2013/0612/Actually-Americans-aren-t-shrugging-over-NSA-surveillance-video?nav=87-frontpage-entryNineItem
The final line in my post about retracting the Patriot Act was added 6/14 after seeing it mentioned on the blog of editorial cartoonist Tom Toles of The Washington Post. That comment was made by someone known as Wiredman.
STOP WATCHING US is a campaign to demand that our gov’t assert powerful control over NSA. It invites citizens to pick up the phone on Tuesday, June 18 to lobby Congress massively. Here’s the story:
http://swampland.time.com/2013/06/15/stop-watching-us-plans-next-move-against-nsa/