NADA TO NDAA

NDAA stands for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, and it should be scrutinized by every American who cherishes our so called Freedom.

Passed 93-7 by the Senate, it essentially evicerates the Bill of Rights which guarantees every citizen the right to a trial, a lawyer, due process and the right against self-incrimination. SC Senator, Lindsay Graham, when he isn't inflamming the Senate to provoke military confrontation with Iran, has championed this onslought against ordinary citizens who the government has decided pose a security threat. On November 30th Graham offered this demented twist on American justice to his Senate colleagues...and the world: "To those Americans thinking about helping al-Qaida, please know what will come your way: death, detention, prosecution. And when they say 'I want my lawyer', you tell them: 'Shut up. You don't get a lawyer.'" Is it just a coincidence that Graham puts death and detention before prosecution?

Come on Mr. former Constitutional law professor and current President: whip out your veto pen and give Senator Graham and his 92 colleagues a lesson on Constitionalism and statesmanship. And give a tip of your Presidential hat to those seven Senators who refused to follow the mob mentality of the Senator Graham crowd: Republicans Coburn (OK), Lee (UT) Paul (KY); Democrats Harkin (IA), Merkley (OR), Wyden (OR); and Socialist Sanders (VT).

MERRY CHRISTMAS, CONGRESSMAN

December 4, 2011

Congressman Peter Roskam
150 S. Bloomingdale Road, Suite 200
Bloomingdale, IL 60108

Dear Congressman Roskam,

This Christmas season, when weighing your vote on extending the payroll tax holiday, please don't channel Ebenezer Scrooge, the rich, sour and greedy villain of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol.

As Chief Deputy Whip to House Speaker Scrooge himself, John Boehner, and House Majority Leader Scrooge, known professionally as Eric Canter, you've given every indication of voting against this extension which will bring enormous grief raining down on the millions of Bob Cratchits out there among the 99% who are sadly not on your legislative radar.

We understand your fealty to the millionaires and the billionaires in the 1% who make up your base. We know you are prevented from even discussing tax increases on the fabulously wealthy due to your pledge to the all powerful Tax Scrooge, masquerading as the "random person" Grover Norquist. But please Sir, this Christmas season, try to save a morsel of empathy for the less fortunate who will instantly use every penny of that extra $1,000 provided by the payroll tax holiday to pump up our struggling economy. Isn't the 4 trillion dollars in unnecessary tax cuts for the chosen ones, money they will squirrel away instead of investing in jobs over the next decade, enough? Must you turn away endlessly from the pain your heartless tax cuts for the rich policies are inflicting on a majority of your constituents?

You've passed on Christmas past but there is still time to avoid the nightmare of Christmas present. If you're wavering, try downloading the aforementioned, A Christmas Carol, and look deeply into the eyes of Ebenezer himself after his life changing epiphany. Maybe you will see a reflection of yourself and experience an epiphany that will have an infinitely greater impact than the one on the screen; an epiphany that will benefit millions in real life.

Think about it, Congressman, and whatever your decision...Merry Christmas.

Respectfully yours,

Walt Zlotow
Sixth District resident