Re: Whatdya make of it ?

I hope they don't upset me. It couid just make me stop acting in defensive mode and go into the offensive with my inkpen, identifying important legislative issues to target en masse, drafting model legislation and getting it into the hands and minds of scores of Congressman, and county government officials.

Here's one that must be sent no later than tomorrow

Dear Representative:

As a believer in, and supporter of the Bill of Rights and the form of government it reflects, I do not see how any reasonable citizen or representative could support HR 297, the NICS Improvement Act. It appears to violate the Fourth Amendment and is thus repugnant to the founding document on which our representative government is based.

I am writing to request that you carefully consider its contents and OPPOSE this bill. I hope you can effectively urge your party leadership to quash it outright.

HR 297 would require the states to turn over mountains of personal data (on people like you, your family, and our friends and neighbors, and their families) to the FBI -- any information which, according to the current or future Attorney General, in their sole discretion, would be deemed useful in ascertaining who is or is not a "prohibited person."

The supporters of this bill tacitly point out an aberrant contradiction in their loyalties and policy administration. For six years, congressional Democrats have complained about the current Administration's efforts to obtain personal information on suspected terrorists WITHOUT A COURT ORDER. Yet, HR 297 provides for the FBI to obtain massive amounts of information, the volume of which dwarfs any records obtained from warrantless searches or wiretaps that may have been conducted by the current Administration, on known or suspected terrorists operating in the country. HR 297 would allow the FBI to gather detailed information on law-abiding citizens, even though the data is much more private and personal than any information obtained thus far by the Administration on terrorists. All of these personal records would be obtained by the FBI with NO WARRANT or judicial or Congressional oversight whatsoever.

I believe that no reasonable person would consent to such a search.

Senator Schumer appears to be pushing to get this bill passed by Unanimous Consent in the Senate, which means that the bill could get passed WITHOUT A VOTE.

I believe that it is reasonable to consider the long-term effects of passing such legislation by Unanimous Consent, on the attitudes of the populace towards their system of government. I suspect that it could lead many to lose their faith in the system, which could potentially have negative consequences for all of us in the long term. I also believe it would set a very bad precedent towards undermining our well-established legislative process.

I hope that my comments are helpful towards your consideration and opposition of HR 297. Thank you for your consideration.

Respectfully submitted,