She Speaks for Many and Growing Numbers of People

Open Letter to Rep. Mike Honda
Angry constituent wants action, not words
By Maureen D. Mackenzie 02/22/07 8:35 am

Dear Representative Honda,

I have written to you several times with specific requests and, in reply, received vague letters that aim to give the general impression that you are on the principled side of an issue without giving assurance that you will take any action. In the past, frustration at this manner of communication has caused me to give up my effort to communicate with your office, convinced that no one is listening. Now I refuse to give up.

Letters from your office voice opposition to the occupation of Iraq and yet you've three times voted for funds to continue the assaults on Afghanistan, Iraq and the sinister, so-called "Global War on Terror." This aggression is resulting in genocide in Iraq, human rights abuses and fear and hatred of the USA across the globe. Even after exposure of the lies used to wage war on Iraq, and a strong voter mandate to get out of Iraq, you're poised to vote for yet another supplemental appropriation of $93,000,000,000 to continue the killing.

You claim to be sympathetic to the plight of immigrants from Mexico, but you voted to fund construction of a wall at the border that will drive desperate immigrants further into dangerous territory and ensure that the casualties of NAFTA and US racism will increase.

And most recently, I wrote to request that you "call on HUD to drop its suit against public housing residents in New Orleans" but in reply I received a long, vague letter that says you want me to believe you care but will do nothing for the HUD targets in New Orleans.

By espousing the rhetoric of those resisting injustice, war and fascism you paint a public image of a defender of justice and human rights. Meanwhile you've risen to the appropriations committee on a tide that has washed away habeas corpus, legalized torture and cleared the way to martial law.

A little research on your part would tell you that national elections have twice been stolen and the Bush Administration/PNAC were at least complicit in the attacks of 9/11/2001. (See Impeach the President: The Case Against Bush and Cheney by Dennis Loo and Peter Phillips, and The New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions About the Bush Administration and 9/11 by David Ray Griffin) But all of these crimes against humanity will remain uninvestigated by Congress while Democrats like you are more concerned with rising to power than with their obligation to uphold the constitution and democracy.

At this time, when the people are being so vigorously lied to and the survival of life on the planet is at stake, true leadership requires a sacrifice of ambition. I know that if you summon the courage to communicate honestly with your constituents, and speak the truth about what is happening in this crazy government--if you stand up for what is right instead of the Democratic party line--you will draw rapturous support from people. I'd work for you for free. If instead, you continue to go along with wars of aggression, torture, eroding human rights and the countless other crimes of this government you may someday find yourself the defendant in an international war crimes court.

Mr. Honda, please wake up! Reasonable people are calling for the overthrow of this increasingly fascist government. Stand up for what's right soon, while you still can.

One of many outraged constituents,
Maureen D. Mackenzie
Editor's Note: Guest Columnist Maureen Mackenzie's opinions are her own.
Printed from the Los Gatos Observer (http://losgatosobserver.com) 02/22/07 10:15 am