We, the People

I was proud to support this ad, sponsored by Peninsula Peace & Justice, that ran today in local San Francisco peninsula news papers. Imagine my delight to see this as a full page ad in the San Jose Merucry News- great placement, too!

WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT....
On July 4, 1776, our country's founders issued the Declaration of Independence, a listing of the causes that impelled them to rebel against the rule of King George III. As they wrote in that magnificent document, "The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations..."
Now, 232 years after the Declaration, we find ourselves governed by a President who acts more like a King than an elected servant of the people. We are supposed to have a representative democracy, not a monarchy. Under our Constitution, Congress has an obligation to hold the President to account. Sadly, our Congress has repeatedly failed to hold this President accountable.
Therefore, on this Fourth of July, We the People hereby declare the "repeated injuries and
usurpations" of President George Bush. As the Declaration itself said, "Let facts be submitted to a candid world."
· President George W. Bush systematically and fraudulently misrepresented Iraq as a threat to our security and thereby compelled our country to engage in an illegal and wasteful war of
aggression.
· He systematically and fraudulently misrepresented Iraq as having been involved in the dreadful attacks of September 11, 2001, compounding his fraudulent case for a war that has now cost the lives of over 4,000 Americans.
· He created a secret propaganda campaign to press his desire for a war of choice, an act that is inarguably illegal under the law.
· He has secretly and illegally encouraged and authorized the use of torture, in violation of our laws and the moral standards of our country.
· He has authorized the illegal detention, indefinitely and without charge, of both US citizens and foreign nationals.
· He secretly and illegally authorized spying on American citizens without a court order, in violation of legal statute and the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution.
· He has flagrantly defied the will of Congress, publicly vowing to disobey enacted legislation through the use and abuse of so-called Presidential signing statements.
· He has caused the deaths and suffering of American citizens through his wanton disregard for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
· He has wreaked havoc on our country's economy with his reckless militarism and callous indifference to the needs and desires of the vast majority of the people.
· He has brought shame and scorn upon the good name and reputation of the United States of America.
WE, THE PEOPLE, call on Congress to act with the utmost urgency to hold President George W. Bush accountable for these and other crimes against the people and the Constitution of the United States. Congress must act before President Bush departs office and leaves behind a disastrous and damaging legacy.