The Domestic Spying Outrage

I am thoroughly outraged by the recent uncovering of domestic spying by the NSA. I am even more outraged by Bush's defense of this as necessary for the war on terrorism. I don't buy that for a second. I feel it is disgraceful for him to always use the "war on terrorism" as some smoke screen for trampling on civil liberties and privacy.

First, I don't believe that we should ever compromise civil liberties for some claim of helping national security. I am stunned that this administration continually tries to circumvent our Constitution and the separation of powers. It is especially troubling in this case as there is no reason for them not to follow the law. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act even allows for immediate emergency taps for 72 hours before getting court approval. Surely this is not so burdensome that the NSA can't comply. Second, there appears to be some doubt that the program is even effective. A New York Times article says that the NSA provided the FBI with literally thousands of names and contacts that led to innocent citizens or dead ends.

We need to let Congress know that it needs to provide more oversight of this agency. We need Congress to insist that the President and the Executive Branch adhere to the laws of the land. NO ONE should be above or outside the Constitution and U. S. law. We need Congress to hold real, meaningful hearings on the subject. Better yet, Congress should appoint a special commission to look into the matter. We can also hope for a positive outcome of lawsuits filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights.

Let your Congressional representative and your Senators know you are outraged about this and want it to end. Get your family, friends, colleagues and neighbors to do the same. We must all stand together and let Washington and the entire nation know that this program is unacceptable.