My Turn: Oppose any shift toward totalitarianism
Ibelieve that the Constitution and the rights of Americans are being slowly nibbled away in a manner similar to those that have led to totalitarian states throughout history.
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In view of this, and the impending national election still a long way off but already hotly contested for many months, I believe that it is fair, right, and patriotic to ask that Alaska's U.S. congressional delegates make their votes or thoughts, as appropriate, and the reasons for them, known to the public on the following issues:
1. October 2001 USA Patriot Act, which allows and has been used by the federal government to monitor the library books, films and music recordings that any private citizen borrows. The American Library Association says this act suppresses the free and open exchange of knowledge and information and acts to intimidate individuals exercising free inquiry. How did the legislator vote? Why?
2. September 2006 Military Commissions Act, which allows any president to establish a separate justice system for trying alien unlawful enemy combatants and defines torture and material supporting hostilities so broadly as to have made them commonplace, even for U.S. citizens, not just those I claim to be fighting for freedom in foreign countries, but born in the USA citizens as well.
3. Fiscal Year 2007 Defense Authorization, which weakens states' authority over their National Guards (the well regulated militias), giving any president unprecedented authority to override local authorities.
While I ask for direct response on these three items, there are other issues for which I believe the legislators should clearly lay out their votes and positions, including the rise and use of private militias (Blackwater), President Bush's proposed Operation Tips, the purge of regional attorneys general, the revised use of the 1917 Espionage and 1918 Sedition Acts, and others. I believe it is clear that each of these contribute to a cumulative trend toward authoritarian rule, contrary to constitutional rule, and they must be halted now. Congress, in particular, must stand up to an authoritarian president.
Like author Naomi Wolf, I find that the founding fathers believed that tyranny is eternal, ever-renewable, and capable of withstanding all assaults, whereas democracy is difficult, personally exacting and fragile. Many other relatively open and democratic societies have succumbed to the slow creep of totalitarianism. We must not be willing to trade our key freedoms for a promised state of security and patriotism, but rather we must stand for the rule of law, our Constitution, and you need to be leaders in that stand.
Legislators should not refer us to previous statements, Web sites, or other roundabout ways of hearing their views on these issues, but should please answer directly to us and to the American public.
• Eric Coufal is a Skagway resident. He is active with the American Freedom Campaign and Freethinkers of Alaska. He is an active contributor to MoveOn.org.