Reply #1: Petition to save the Bill of Rights

[olenska]

I am new here and cannot start a thread. I am working on 1000 signatures to the following petition. I encourage others to band together with fellow constituents and to not let up until we have a constitution again. Here is mine as a sample, but anybody who wishes to is welcome to use it.thanks

Dear Representative Rangel:

I am a constituent and I congratulate you on your stunning victory on Tuesday. In all of the talk about the Democratic agenda, I heard many good ideas, but I did not hear a single word about restoring our Constitution and the Bill of Rights to its rightful place, and overturning the “police state” legislation enacted into law by the Republican Congress that threatens the very existence of our democracy. I can assure you that many independent voters turned to the Democratic Party on the assumption that a Democratic Congress would restore all civil liberties that have been lost in the last six years of one-party rule. They did not turn to the Democratic Party on the assumption it had become the Republican Party minus evangelical fervor or to watch a display of courtesy to a corrupt and dictatorial Executive Branch.

We, the undersigned constituents, respectfully request that you address the following issues in the first month of the new Congress to restore America’s democratic system of government:

1 Habeas Corpus Amend the Military Commissions Act to restore habeas corpus rights to all persons, including Americans, NOT subject to the discretion of the Executive Branch.

2 Control of The National Guard. Amend John Warner’s Defense Authorization Act of 2007 to restore control of National Guard troops to the state governors.

3 Freedom to travel into and out of the United States. Draft legislation denying the Department of Homeland Security the right to impede any American holding a valid US passport from entering or exiting the United States at their will or from the necessity of obtaining DHS approval to enter or exit the United States. The proposed ruling by DHS to take effect in January 2007 would effectively make Americans prisoners in their own country.

4 Wiretapping Draft legislation outlawing the wiretapping of or spying on American citizens under any circumstances without a FISA warrant.
5 Freedom of Speech Draft legislation abolishing the so-called “free speech zones” that deny Americans their constitutional right to peaceful protest.

6 Free the Internet Draft legislation that retains free and open access to all sites on the internet, unimpeded by forced payments. Keep the internet free and open.

7 No Immunity from Prosecution for members of the Executive Branch. Amend the Military Commissions Act to deny the Executive Branch exemption from prosecution for Crimes against Humanity and violations of the Geneva Conventions, and Impeachable Offenses committed in the lead up to the Iraq War.

8 Detention Camps Draft legislation ordering Kellog, Brown and Root to cease and desist from the construction of detention camps everywhere in the United States. Draft legislation making it a Federal offense to deny any American the right to peaceful protest, or to impede any American from so doing.

9 Federally funded Elections Draft legislation to federally fund all national elections, thereby disempowering PACS and K Street lobbyists and returning accountability to Congress .

10 Gerrymandering Draft legislation to end gerrymandering nationwide. Upon the next census, create an independent and impartial panel to create voting districts based on a non-partisan and geographic determination.

11 The Patriot Acts I and II Repeal all clauses in these ill-conceived bills that infringe upon the constitutional rights of American citizens.

12 Outlaw Torture. Amend provisions in the existing bill to enumerate and specify all practices to be deemed as torture, including “waterboarding”. Specify that these provisions are not subject to review or interpretation by the Executive Branch as may be expressed in signing statements.

13 Signing Statements . Notify President Bush and Vice-President Cheney that Signing Statements have no legal basis and will not be honored. Violations by the Executive Branch of laws passed by Congress will be deemed unconstitutional and will result in impeachment proceedings.


This petition will also be forwarded to Senators Schumer and Clinton.
We, the undersigned call upon all Democratic Party Congresspersons and Senators to defend the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights by addressing the above issues.