A Letter to Representative Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

This morning, Yahoo!News reported that the people of Vermont voted on a referendum to begin impeachment proceedings against President Bush. Upon hearing that, however, the Independent Representative Bernie Sanders – these people’s voice in Congress – said it was “impractical” to speak of impeachment because the Republican Party controls both the House and the Senate.

Not one to accept the “why do it, we’ll lose anyway” argument as a reason to back down from an important battle, I wrote a letter to Representative Sanders this morning. I’m proud of the letter, so here it is…

Representative Sanders:

I am not from Vermont, but I am so proud of your state for their recent referendum on the Impeachment of President Bush. It's about time someone stepped up and said that the activities of this administration are wrong.

Representative Sanders, this is why I'm so confused about your statement that to talk about impeachment is "impractical." Yes, the Republicans do control the House and the Senate, but to back down from the position taken by your constituents just because you think you can't win is wrong. That would be akin to the 1980 US Hockey team going, "We lost against the Soviets two weeks ago, we should probably stay home from the games."

In the late 1990s, the Republican-controlled Congress took the President's sex life and made it center stage. Yes he lied, but if my sexual activities were about to be broadcast across the globe, I think I would lie too. The important thing is that when he lied, it was to protect his personal reputation and his family. NO ONE DIED and no one's civil liberties were jeopardized.

President Bush too has lied. The difference is, however, is that his lies have cost more than 2,000 of our brave men and women their lives and worn away our civil liberties to the point that a High School teacher can't practice free speech without losing his job, a same-sex couple who pays their taxes and votes regularly cannot marry, and the President, under the guise of "National Security" can wire-tap someone just because he has the wrong color skin. In fact, the only part of the Bill of Rights that this administration seems to acknowledge these days is the Right to Bear Arms (and we saw how well that one worked out). WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS COUNTRY?

Representative Sanders. This country needs a hero ala Jefferson Smith. My generation needs an individual who bucks the administration and takes a stand for what's right; not what's popular. What's happening in Washington right now is not only wrong, it's scary. Your constituents have called you to open a case for impeachment against the President and his cronies for war crimes both here and abroad. I encourage, I beg you to rethink your position and take the wishes of the people of Vermont to the hill. Show them that the government is still by the people, for the people and that civil liberties are still just as important as they were when our forefathers signed the Constitution.

Thank you