I wrote the following to my congressman based on his response to my plea that he not vote for retroactive immunity to the telecommunications industry.
Dear Congressman Space:
I received your response to my request that you vote against retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies.
Quite frankly I am chilled by your response. When you write: "I understand your concerns regarding rewarding companies who may have acted unlawfully, but I also understand the need to protect companies who acted out of compliance with what they believed to be the best interests of our national security" you seem to ignore the great truth upon which our country is based. That truth would be that the rule of law, not of men control.
The president and the companies could have come to the congress and asked that the law be changed. They could have gone to the FISA court and ask for warrants (not a single request for warrants has ever been denied by those courts, if the reports I read are accurate). Instead they chose to break the law because they thought that they knew better. But it goes even farther then that. They thought they could do what they wanted and they did not have to ask permission.
What retroactive immunity would do is not even permit these matters to be investigated and litigated by individuals. We (you and I) are not permitted to know specifically all they did. By granting retroactive immunity you and the rest of congress would effectively close the door on any real investigation of what currently appears to be years of law breaking by this administration and these massive companies. I know that congress could, if it chose investigate, but right now that doesn't appear likely.
I am incredibly disappointed in you and your attitude towards the laws of this County. Those laws are what made our Country great and I see the Bush administration and its allies and enablers in congress breaking them down. I used to wonder how the Roman republic degenerated into the empire of the Caesars. I no longer wonder.
I received your response to my request that you vote against retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies.
Quite frankly I am chilled by your response. When you write: "I understand your concerns regarding rewarding companies who may have acted unlawfully, but I also understand the need to protect companies who acted out of compliance with what they believed to be the best interests of our national security" you seem to ignore the great truth upon which our country is based. That truth would be that the rule of law, not of men control.
The president and the companies could have come to the congress and asked that the law be changed. They could have gone to the FISA court and ask for warrants (not a single request for warrants has ever been denied by those courts, if the reports I read are accurate). Instead they chose to break the law because they thought that they knew better. But it goes even farther then that. They thought they could do what they wanted and they did not have to ask permission.
What retroactive immunity would do is not even permit these matters to be investigated and litigated by individuals. We (you and I) are not permitted to know specifically all they did. By granting retroactive immunity you and the rest of congress would effectively close the door on any real investigation of what currently appears to be years of law breaking by this administration and these massive companies. I know that congress could, if it chose investigate, but right now that doesn't appear likely.
I am incredibly disappointed in you and your attitude towards the laws of this County. Those laws are what made our Country great and I see the Bush administration and its allies and enablers in congress breaking them down. I used to wonder how the Roman republic degenerated into the empire of the Caesars. I no longer wonder.
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