Letter from a citizen

The following was written by a local citizen, and a veteran. He sent this letter to Rep. Shuler after the town hall meeting that Shuler held last month. This was written by Kim C.:

I attended your Town Meeting Wednesday night in Asheville. Thanks for your willingness to meet with the people. Such events have the potential to be a rich exchange of ideas between constituents and elected officials. The event last night, however, failed to live up to that potential.

Your opening comments were heavy on folksiness and light on content. You told us how hard you work and what wonderful people we have in Congress. Not much substance there, but I had hoped the question-and-answer period would be more enlightening. It wasn’t.

The tiny cards which we were given provided enough room to write only the simplest of questions. And that’s what you got simple, softball questions—and carefully selected, it seemed. Your answers were as disappointing as the questions and seemed to suggest that your knowledge on many issues is only basic at best.

Your response to the first question, on climate change, revealed a definite failure on your part to comprehend the gravity of the issue, and knowledge of the particulars (Japan, not Germany, leads the world in production of photovoltaic cells—by far). Wind and solar energy are not going to solve global warming, nor are CAFE standards. We need to dramatically reduce the demand for energy and get all those cars off the road. (You’re on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee—how about working to improve interstate, interurban, and local surface transportation?) Nor will recycling and turning off lights solve global warming. What we need is a drastic and complete overhaul in the way we do energy, and we need to localize the economy. Many expert climate scientists say we’re too late anyway—thanks largely to (lack of) American leadership.

On immigration, you spoke of tightening borders and verification by employers of employees’ status. How about instead addressing the root causes of immigration? Our international trade policies have devastated the Mexican economy. Importation of cheap, subsidized, American corn has driven Mexican farmers out of business. Their only recourse is to go north for work. Immigration is an economic issue, not a problem of security or legal status.

Your response to the crisis in health care is for us to eat better and exercise more. You call for preventive measures and personal responsibility. But despite our best efforts in taking care of ourselves, accidents and illness will happen. I am a healthy, fit, vegetarian who pays a hefty health insurance premium. If, through no fault of my own, I were to suffer severe injuries after being run over by an impaired driver, or contract cancer from toxic substances in the environment, I could be devastated financially. This couldn’t happen to you since Congress enjoys comprehensive coverage (and I’m sure that our elected officials all provide a model of healthy eating and exercise habits). But you represent us—the People. Give the People single-payer universal coverage as is found in most other industrialized nations, or at least as good a plan as Congress has.

Your perspective on Iraq was most disheartening and even shocking. You compared the Iraqi government to a child told to clean his room. It would be closer to the truth if your analogy included the fact the child’s room had been blasted with a hand grenade, the child beaten senseless, and the electricity cut off before the child was told to clean his room! Regardless, the analogy is paternalistic and condescending toward the Iraqi people. The reality is that we dismembered their government and then set up something we call their “government.” We cannot, as you say, “force their government to take charge of this war” (whose war?) when the people have no faith or confidence in their leadership. Stability in Iraq won’t happen until all the Americans are gone. Bring the troops home now, along with the consultants, mercenaries, and other American personnel.

In your comments, you said that it is important to have discussions with folks who have different opinions, even if the result is that you “agree to disagree.” Well, you missed a golden opportunity on Wednesday night to hear some different opinions. You didn’t allow for dialogue. You did all of the talking. How are you going to learn what the people want when yours in the only voice? We have people in Western North Carolina who have a wealth of knowledge and experience. Your opportunity to hear our voices, the “open mike” portion of your show, was eliminated last night without explanation, leaving a large segment of the audience not just disappointed but angry.

The question that I was unable to ask—a question I know that others had written on their tiny cards and a question that you have never answered in more than a year despite my perseverance in posing this question by phone to your staff in both Washington and Asheville, and to you by email, fax, and letter—you would have been the following:

“The Bush Administration violated the UN Charter by invading and occupying Iraq, violated the Geneva Conventions by torturing; violated the Bill of Rights through warrantless wiretapping and eliminating due process and habeas corpus protection, committed treason by divulging the identity of a covert U.S. agent, and repeatedly lied to promote their agenda. The President, by means of “signing statements,” claims that new laws do not apply to him. By any measure, this Administration has committed high crimes and demonstrated contempt for international law, the Constitution, Congress, and the American people.

“Mr. Shuler, two years ago you campaigned on “accountability in government.” Will you now hold the President and the Vice President accountable by joining fellow House members who are calling for impeachment? Will you encourage the Judiciary Committee to begin impeachment proceedings? Do you understand that without this action, all future administrations will refer to the Bush-Cheney Administration as precedent?

“If not, will you please explain your position?”

Mr. Shuler, you took an oath of office to protect the Constitution. The Constitution has been attacked and dishonored by President Bush and Vice President Cheney. Will you live up to your duty?