Restore the Rule of Law

Your Letter calling for a Permanent End to Torture
and a Permanent Restoration of the Rule of Law
is on its way to every member of Congress and President Obama.

When someone asks “What did you do?,” you can look back with pride at having taken a stand. You added your name to the call for an end to torture and restoration of the rule of law and today, February 18, 2009, we sent letters to every member of Congress and to President Obama, adding your name with the thousands of others who have demanded change.

____________________________________

I am among millions of Americans concerned about the undermining of the rule of law, violations of our Constitution, domestic laws, and treaty obligations, and the damage inflicted these past several years on our nation’s system of checks and balances.

Please make it a priority, within the first six months of the Obama Administration, to:

1. Limit the application of the “state secrets” doctrine in order that the courts will once again provide a meaningful check on abuses of power and violations of law by members of the Executive Branch.

2. Make clear what process must be followed before any US treaty obligations are violated or terminated by any member of the Executive branch or by Congress. Congress should also reaffirm its commitment to treaty obligations forbidding aggressive war and torture and repeal the Military Commissions Act.

3. Limit the effect of “signing statements” by enacting legislation that (1) instructs the courts they are not to consider signing statements when determining legislative history; (2) prohibits the President from issuing any statement that purports to limit any part of the legislation as being advisory or that purports to assert any authority by the President to determine the scope or applicability of the legislation; and (3) provides that no one can rely upon signing statements as a defense for a violation of the law.

4. Authorize, designate, and assign special prosecutors to investigate and prosecute violations of the law for involvement in felonious warrantless wiretapping, torture, and kidnappings of people in the so-called “extraordinary rendition ” program.

5. Reassert Congress’s vital constitutional role and forbid, by a criminal statute with severe penalties, any attack against another nation, except in cases of actual or imminent attack of the US by that nation or as permitted under the United Nations Charter and the Constitution, absent explicit authorization by Congress.

6. Appoint a select committee, similar to the Church and Ervin Committees, or a non-partisan Truth Commission, charged with investigating illegal conduct or other abuses of power by the Bush Administration, disclosing such misconduct to the American people, and making recommendations concerning reforms that will prevent or deter similar misconduct in the future.

7. Repeal the Military Commissions Act.

Taking these steps will be a vital contribution to the restoration of the rule of law, our constitutional democracy, and the system of checks and balances essential to protect against abuses of Executive power.

Sincerely,

[The names of over 7,100 signatories were included in the letter sent to every member of Congress and President Obama.]

____________________________________

Just as it was important for thousands of people to add their names to this letter, so too is it crucial for every person who supports the work of High Road for Human Rights to contribute financially. We urge everyone to do his or her share.

Only with sustained financial support will High Road for Human Rights be able to continue its effective and aggressive work.

Please Click Here to make a donation to High Road for Human Rights.

When someone asks “What did you do?,” what will you say? Will you look back and regret not taking a stand? Click here to add your name to the call for an end to torture and restoration of the rule of law. We will send letters to every member of Congress and to President-elect Obama, adding your name with thousands of others who insist on change.

Help Restore What is Best About the United States of America.

Help restore our Constitution.

Help restore the rule of law.[1]

Help restore our nation’s system of checks and balances.

Help restore our nation’s commitment to our long-term treaty obligations,including the Geneva Conventions and the Convention Against Torture.

· Contrary to our nation’s proud official traditions since the Revolutionary War, kidnapping, disappearance, torture and murder has been officially sanctioned.[2]

· For the first time in our nation’s history, the President has violated a statute passed by Congress that was enacted to prevent the warrantless wiretapping of Americans’ communications.[3]

· For the first time in our nation’s history, the Geneva Conventions, other treaties, and US laws prohibiting torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment have been ignored and violated by order of the President and other members of his Administration.[4] Also, in unprecedented fashion, the Congress has asserted the authority to re-write and restrict the protections against torture contained in the Geneva Conventions.[5]

· Contrary to his obligation under the Constitution to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed,” the President has issued hundreds of “signing statements” after signing bills into law, purporting to have the authority to disregard the laws.[6]

· In several instances, the courts have prevented challenges to egregious abuses of Executive power by accepting the Administration’s claim that “state secrets” would be disclosed by allowing the cases to proceed, foreclosing challenges to the officially sanctioned practice of kidnapping, disappearing, and torturing people around the world and the illegal warrantless wiretapping of citizens’ communications.

· Congress passed the Military Commissions Act, which is subversive of our system of checks and balances, the right to habeas corpus, the most elementary notions of due process, and our commitments under the Geneva Conventions, the Convention Against Torture, and the War Crimes Act to refrain from torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment of detainees.[7]

Let your voice be heard – along with thousands of other Americans.  Call for change.  Call for reforms that will prevent such abuses from occurring in the future.

Let President Obama and Congress know that we expect them to undertake the following SEVEN STEPS TO RESTORING THE RULE OF LAW AND PROTECTING OUR CONSTITUTION:

1. ACCOUNTABILITY FOR VIOLATIONS OF THE LAW. Authorize, designate, and assign special prosecutors to investigate and prosecute violations of the law by members of the Administration, particularly for involvement in felonious warrantless wiretapping, torture, and kidnappings of people in the so-called “extraordinary rendition” program.

2. “STATE SECRETS” DOCTRINE. Limit the application of the “state secrets” doctrine in order that the courts will once again provide a meaningful check on abuses of power and violations of law by members of the Executive Branch.

3. VIOLATIONS AND TERMINATION OF TREATY OBLIGATIONS. Make clear what process must be followed before any US treaty obligations are violated or terminated by any member of the Executive branch or by Congress.  Congress should also reaffirm its commitment to treaty obligations forbidding aggressive war and torture and repeal the Military Commissions Act.

4. UNCONSTITUTIONAL SIGNING STATEMENTS. Limit the effect of “signing statements” by enacting legislation that (1) instructs the courts they are not to consider signing statements when determining legislative history; (2) prohibits the President from issuing any statement that purports to limit any part of the legislation as being advisory or that purports to assert any authority by the President to determine the scope or applicability of the legislation; and (3) provides that no one can rely upon signing statements as a defense for a violation of the law.

5. CONSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENT OF A CONGRESSIONAL DECLARATION OF WAR. Reassert Congress’s vital constitutional role and forbid, by a criminal statute with severe penalties, any attack against another nation, except in cases of actual or imminent attack of the US by that nation or as permitted under the United Nations Charter and the Constitution, absent explicit authorization by Congress.

6. ASCERTAINMENT AND DISCLOSURE OF THE TRUTH AND PREVENTION OF FUTURE ABUSES. Appoint a select committee, similar to the Church and Ervin Committees, or a non-partisan Truth Commission, charged with investigating illegal conduct or other abuses of power by the Bush Administration, disclosing such misconduct to the American people, and making recommendations concerning reforms that will prevent or deter similar misconduct in the future.

7. REPEAL THE MILITARY COMMISSIONS ACT.

Pursuing these measures would be an important beginning to the restoration of the balance of power and system of checks and balances in our federal government, the restoration of the reputation of the United States among other nations, and to the restoration of our constitutional democracy, with the honor and respect it deserves.

If you agree, CLICK HERE to fill out the information and we will send your letter in the next few days to every member of the Senate and the House of Representatives and to President-elect Obama.

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