latest letter

Emailed indiviudally to my senators and sent to my local daily -

An Open Letter to Senators Snowe and Collins

It may be too late by the time this letter appears in these pages, the pro-torture bill may already have been voted on in the rush of the Republican leadership to rubberstamp an historic bill abrogating Constitutionally protected Habeus Corpus.

To my Senator,

I am very disturbed by the actions of this administration and of your leadership in advancing the pro-torture, anti-habeus corpus bill.

On its merits I find the bill un-American and not just unconstitutional but anti-Constitutional. That you or any of your senatorial colleagues would deign to even consider this disgrace - more than an affront, if I may, it is pissing on the Constitution and all that we hold dear. And the worst part is that we all know it. You know and I know and Bill Frist knows that this is all just to keep President Bush and his willing executioners safe from criminal actions for breaking laws that he should have been held accountable for in your very body.

Are you willing to become at last one more of his willing executioners?
To say I am disgusted is an understatement. To say that I am ashamed of those to whom I have entrusted my representation - who have sworn to uphold and defend our Constitution - is a kindness to those who have betrayed my trust, that of my fellows citizens and this nation that we all hold sacred.

How can I convince you that a vote in favor of this bill is a disaster for our nation?

Consider this:

The day after this bill is signed into law our country will be a different place.

It will be a nation of torture as a national policy.

It will be a nation of secret detention.

It will be a nation where ANYONE accused (and can you say who could NOT be accused under this bill?) DOES NOT HAVE HIS DAY IN COURT. In fact he may never be seen or heard from again.

We will be a nation of The Disappeared.

Are you not disgusted by those who would do that to the country you love?

I am.

Your leadership is needed now like never before in your career as a Senator. You must stop this bill. I am not being too glib in saying that YOU must save this nation from the disaster it is about to inflict upon itself.

Paul Orsillo

Kittery Point Maine