I’m writing to you to express my grave concern over the recent admission by the President that he authorized eavesdropping on Americans without judicial approval. Obviously, the government has a responsibility to try to keep the country as safe as possible, but that responsibility is shared with the oath to uphold the Constitution and protect Americans from potential abuses of governmental power. That was why the Constitution was written with a system of checks and balances in it, what why even modern-day laws include provisions designed to protect individual freedom from the government. If President Bush believes that he has the right to ignore any laws that he finds inconvenient (and my understanding is that there were already laws on the books that allowed for the sort of surveillance that was done, with proper oversight), that’s a risky thing for everyone in this country. Even if you believe that he would never abuse such power, giving the Presidency the powers of a King from the middle ages is something we all should consider dangerous. The founding fathers wisely didn’t establish a King – they knew that human nature would ensure that someone, someday, would have powers over the freedom of individuals that puts all of our rights at stake.
I am not a lawyer, and I do not understand the law well enough to know if crimes have been committed either by the President or by those he ordered to spy on Americans, but I urge you and your colleagues to investigate this situation fully and, if necessary, bring charges against and punish those who have broken the law.
Sincerely,
Dr. Eric Martell
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