10/1/06
Dear Senator Lautenberg:
The first time I ever voted was in 1988 for you against Pete
Dawkins in the New Jersey Senate race. Although I”ve disagreed with you on some
issues and have taken objection to some of your public statements, I”ve never
regretted my vote because, on the whole, you”ve been a good Senator. You”ve
taken stances strongly in support of a woman’s right to choose an abortion, on
civil liberties and gay rights, and on economic issues. You were one of the
first people in the Senate to stand up to Vice President Cheney.
But in light of your “yes” vote on the Military Commissions
Act of 2006, I deeply regret voting for you in 1988. I don’t care about your
“reasons” for voting “yes” on a bill that legalizes the torture and indefinite
detention without trial of even an American citizen. I don’t care if you argue
that it was necessary to vote “yes” to provide an argument against the
inevitable Republican charge that the Democrats are “soft on terrorism”. I
don’t care if you did it to help Senator Menendez get re-elected to the Senate.
I don’t even care if you honestly believe it will prevent future terrorist acts
against the people of New Jersey
and contribute to help to keep me safe. I’m sure you know the Benjamin Franklin
quote about trading essential liberty for safety so I won’t repeat it here.
The only thing I care about is the reason I won’t be mailing
you this letter or calling your office the way I”ve done so many times before.
I am afraid.
Since you will shortly have the power to detain me
indefinitely or have me tortured if you suspect me of being an “enemy
combatant” I am afraid that if I honestly expressed my outrage over your “yes”
vote on the “Military Commissions Act of 2006” I might use intemperate or
vulgar language, even language that could be interpreted as threatening and
perhaps get me on some type of government list. I am afraid that in the very
near future opposition to the coming war in Iran might be interpreted as giving
material aid to the enemy and even qualify me as an “enemy combatant”. Even though
members of my family have been living in New Jersey
for over 200 years, I am as afraid of my government as any recent immigrant
from the Middle East.
Senator, I am afraid of you.
Sincerely,
Stanley W.
Rogouski