MOVE AWAY FROM ANY CANDIDATE WHO WOULD DEPRIVE YOU OR ANYONE ELSE OF CIVIL RIGHTS

My friend, Robert Duver, submitted the following letter to the Lawrence World-Journal in Lawrence, Kansas. What he says regarding candidates for political office in Kansas should be considered carefully by everyone who votes in any state in these mid-term elections. I am thinking particularly of the tight race between Brian Bilbray and Francine Busby in one of San Diego’s Congressional districts. Last spring Bilbray maneuvered quickly to a new place of residence so he could be on the ballot to finish out the few months left in the term of disgraced Republican congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham, who is now serving a long term in Federal prison for his blatantly illegal dealings with government contractors and lobbyists. Bilbray was working as a lobbyist in Washington before his new run for congress in a new district,. He had served a term in congress but was defeated in an earlier election in a different San Diego district.

As if her work for children in the community can be considered of no importance, Busby is criticized by Bilbray because she has served in public office “only” as a member of the school board. Bilbray has made it clear that he fully supports the Bush Administration’s position on “torture compromise legislation.”

Mr. Duver’s comments to the Lawrence World-Journal:

“In considering whether to retain any current incumbent in office, one issue seems especially important to me during these rather trying times in which many of our civil rights seem to be slipping away. Do we want a person to represent us who is concerned with supporting the rule of law with appropriate checks and balances between the three branches of government? For me, the answer is a resounding yes! Therefore, prior to voting, it seems imperative to determine whether the representative, up for re-election, voted for the “torture compromise legislation” recently passed by Congress. If so, it does not appear that such a representative is one that a democratic society would wish to retain. This legislation allows Mr. Bush to decide what constitutes torture (and possibly redefine the Geneva Convention guidelines in the process), to keep prisoners, labeled “enemy combatants” or “terrorists”, including U.S. citizens who may have unwittingly supported a terrorist organization, confined for years without due process, and to deny habeas corpus (appeal incarceration to the courts). Such legislation seems inconsistent with the America that was once a shining beacon of justice and equality for all. Instead of such a candidate, let’s vote for a representative who is concerned with equal rights for all, as framed by the constitution, rather than what Mr. Bush may “feel is right in his gut”, or what the “religious right” may decide is right for the rest of us based on their religious views.:

--Robert Duver
Lawrence, Kansas