An Open Letter to the President

Dear President Bush:

The court recently declared your domestic warrantless wiretapping program to be illegal and unconstitutional. All rational, and patriotic, Americans agree with the federal court's decision which is an affirmation of our First Amendment rights.

If, as you have indicated, you think that the FISA law, which is more than 3 decades old, is outdated, then why not amend, or change the law to conform with the challenges of recent conflicts. If, on the other hand, an administration chooses to ignore the law, or surreptitiously circumvent it, what kind of message does that send to our youngsters, as well as posterity?

I believe that we can fight terrorism with protecting our rights and freedoms, and that's why I agree with Senator Feingold: we need to bring this program back within the law, as well as expand not merely implementation of legal infrastructure, but moral backbone and vision needed to return us to the days when we didn't think the enemy was the guy next door.

Most sincerely,
Jayne Lyn Stahl