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From: David Morton <mortonda@dgrmm.net>
Date: September 19, 2006 4:55:23 PM CDT
To: Correspondence_Reply@roberts.senate.gov
Subject: Re: Correspondence from Senator Roberts
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Correspondence_Reply@roberts.senate.gov wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> September 19, 2006
> 
> 
> 
> Mr. David Morton
> 1429 Lawrence
> Emporia, KS  66801 
> 
> 
> Dear Mr. Morton:
> 
> Thank you for contacting me regarding the Treasury Department's Terrorist
> Finance Tracking program.

Obviously you did not read my message, as I never mentioned this particular
program. This demonstrates how out of touch you are with your constituency.

I referred more directly to the patriot act, and domestic spying being
undertaken by our own government, such as described in this URL:
http://www.eff.org/legal/cases/att/

> 
> Shortly after the attacks of September 11, 2001, the President issued an

Please stop waving the 9/11 flag. It is not an excuse to do whatever you want.

> Executive Order authorizing the Treasury Department to use all appropriate
> means to identify, track, and pursue those committing terrorist acts and
> those who provide financial support for these acts. As a result, the Treasury
> Department developed the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program to pursue
> terrorist organizations like al Qaida, Hamas, and Hezbollah, and their
> financial supporters. As Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on
> Intelligence, I have been fully briefed on the program, which is consistent
> with our laws and constitution.

Many recent laws are unconstitutional and defy the very spirit of freedom that
you claim to be protecting.  Our country was founded on the ideas of freedom and
security from a overpowering government;  that's why our constitution espouses
concepts like freedom from undue search and seizure.

> Regrettably, classified information about the program was improperly
> disclosed to the media. I am deeply concerned that yet another crucial tool
> in the war on terror has been compromised. The Terrorist Finance Tracking
> Program is not data mining or otherwise improperly accessing private
> information of Americans. In fact, the program carefully targets financial
> transactions of suspected terrorists. Moreover, the program has safeguards in
> place designed to protect privacy. These efforts have disrupted terrorist
> networks and improved our safety.

No, it is actually rather fortunate.  While our media tends to be rather liberal
in nature, it us still useful for disclosing the abuse of power.   Proper
methods were already in place to safeguard our privacy; the courts.  By
attempting to bypass the court system, the President is violating the checks and
balances placed by the country's founders.

How is it unfortunate when abuse of power is exposed?  It has been revealed that
many people have been detained without due process.  You call them terrorists.
They may be, but until proven guilty by a proper court, they are still people,
and I think our founding fathers would want to extend the same rights.

After all, the Declaration of Independence says: "We hold these truths to be
self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and
the pursuit of Happiness." 

They did not say "All Americans", they said "All men".  By imprisoning these
people without fair and proper process, we as a country are no better than the
dictatorship we overthrew.  We have morally fallen to the same level as fascist
Italy during WWII.

> These facts, plus the recent news of yet another terrorist plot aimed at
> killing hundreds on airplanes, make the unauthorized disclosure of the
> program more troubling. We are at war, and the American people expect their
> government to use all the legal tools and authorities available to detect and
> defeat those planning further terrorist attacks.

Please do not further the terrorist cause by spreading fear and doubt. You are
playing right into their hands.  In the process of stripping away our rights as
americans, you are giving the victory over to the terrorists.

>     Again, thank you for contacting me. I look forward to your continued advice and counsel.

I can only hope that you will actually listen.  I will vote for someone who
does, and will encourage everyone around me to do so too.  We MUST turn away
from this path which is leading to a fascist nation.

- --
David Morton
Maia Mailguard                        - http://www.maiamailguard.com
Morton Software Design and Consulting - http://www.dgrmm.net
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