My Letter to My Republican Representative

[Ladyhawk]

Dear Representative Radanovich,

For a long time I've discounted the idea of contacting you because I believed--and still believe--that you don't really care about truth and doing the right thing. I'm hoping you will prove me wrong. For years now, Republicans have walked in lock-step, but radical members of the party have turned the lock-step into a goose step. Shortly before the invasion of Iraq, I already knew that the upcoming war was based on lies. Sickened, I found the Democratic Party booth at the local fair and switched from Republican to Democrat. I didn't leave the Republican Party. The Republican Party left me. It has turned into a pack of liars who caused the federal debt to soar and illegally involved the country in a horrible war. The current crop of Republicans only seem to care about their pocketbooks.

Does that describe you, Congressman? Do you truly believe you are doing the right thing or are you simply using current events to fatten your own wallet while listening to Rush Limbaugh so you can still feel good about it. I think you only care about yourself, Congressman. Please prove me wrong.

I am a disabled woman, Congressman. Your party has cut and cut and cut the budget for folks like me. Last year, 30 workers were laid off at the local Behavioral Health Clinic because of your party's fiscal irresponsibility. I've had a horrible time finding adequate care for my many health problems. It's the Republicans' fault for valuing war and tax cuts for the rich above the welfare (yes, welfare, Congressman...it is not a dirty word) of poor folks like me who cannot get ahead because of chronic health issues.

Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Mat 25:42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
Mat 25:43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Mat 25:44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Mat 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did not to one of the least of these, ye did not to me.

Have Christian Republicans forgot about the words and actions of Jesus? I believe so. Please, prove me wrong.

Are you going to continue to support this irresponsible, immoral and unChristian behavior? Is this all a game to you Congressman? I think it is, but please, prove me wrong.

Recently, minutes from a meeting between George W. Bush and Tony Blair have become available that seem to prove the United States and Great Britain planned the invasion of Iraq, then tried to find justification for it by lying and forging false documents. This is high treason, Congressman, and even though George W. Bush and you share the same party, I'm hoping your morals are more intact. I want to know the truth behind the Downing Street Memo. If George W. Bush and his administration deliberately lied us into war, they need to be held accountable. Over 100,000 people have died because of a war that was illegal and unnecessary. I don't think you care.

Please, Congressman, PLEASE prove me wrong.

Yours,

Laura XXXXXXXX

[Swamp Rat]

1. Let 'em have it Ladyhawk!

[Ladyhawk]

2. I didn't know how else to handle it.

:shrug:

This guy isn't on our side, but if he professes to be a Christian, maybe I can guilt him into investigating the memo.

I think I'll keep sending him annoying e-mails. :D

[KitchenWitch]

3. beautifully stated.

[tsuki]

4. Beautiful. Especially the quote from Matthew. eom

[Ladyhawk]

5. Letter to Fellow Progressives Concerning the Downing Street Memo

Hi Friends,

This is "Pester Your Congress Critter" week and I took the opportunity to (finally) write George Radanovich. After looking at his voting record, I've pretty much concluded he's in on the whole neocon thing, but one can hope he still has a conscience to prick. I'm not a Christian, but almost all elected Republicans publicly claim they are. For some of them, this means they buy into the fundamentalist / theofascist agenda. Others use the label, knowing that most of the sheeple will find the label attractive. "Oh, 'Congressman Dickwad' is a Christian. That means he hates homosexuals and stem cell research just like I do!" Most of these poor folks don't know they're being played, being tricked into voting against their best interests by Republican use of wedge issues.

I say, let's hit 'em back. If they claim to be Christians, remind them of what Christ said about warmongers, liars, thieves and those who don't help the poor. Perhaps some consciences will be pricked. If not, then at least they will think, "Whoops...looks like my constituency isn't buying it, anymore." Unfortunately, with most Republicans, they will only care about their constituency and their hopes of being re-elected.

Of course, we have the whole "electronic voting" issue to worry about. I still don't know what the "truth" is concerning electronic voting. All I know is that rabid fundamentalists own the voting machines, the proprietary software--everything! One of the Diebold CEOs said he was looking forward to delivering Ohio's electoral votes to the president in the 2004 election. This may have happened. It's possible that the machines were hacked by the central tabulator. It's easy to do. I could teach you how in five minutes. A lot of folks think "election fraud" is just a conspiracy theory. Personally, I'm a very skeptical person. I'm less sure of fraud than I was the day after the election. Still, I need assurance that my vote isn't following the Koran and the US Constitution into our illustrious American-style sewage system. Seriously, do you want your vote going into a machine that doesn't even give you a receipt? How do you know what happens to it once it is entered?

My cyber-friend Andy Stephenson, who is rather obsessed with the whole voting issue, keeps repeating this: "Voter Verified Paper Ballots." Memorize it. Use it. Demand it.

Folks, we don't want a "paper trail" created by electronic voting machines. At this point, it's going to be really hard to get the government to go for any recount based on receipts. What we need is for the process to work in the first place. We need to have faith in the electoral process. I don't know about you, but I don't trust those machines! I've seen how easily they can be hacked. Hell, G.W. himself could do it and "disassemble" about the whole thing afterward. In fact, a chimpanzee (not Curious George Himself) was trained to hack a Diebold machine. No, really. I'm not making this up and it is, of course, completely unacceptable.

What we need are actual paper ballots, hand-counted by representatives on both sides of the fence. Yes, I know that's a lot of "hard work." Too bad; so sad. What are we willing to pay for peace of mind concerning our elections? I am willing to sit across from a right-winger and count paper votes on election day to ensure the vote is correct. Are you? No doubt you are. This is one of the most important issues facing our country right now. Without a transparent electoral process, we might as well kiss the Republic goodbye right now.

Thanks for hearing me out on these issues. For now, let's pound Radanovich! He needs a good pounding. :)

Yours,

Ladyhawk

P.S. If you don't live in Radanovich's district, pound your own Congress Critter about the Downing Street Memo. Chimpeach! Chimpeach! Chimpeach!