I’m pissed off.
Recently I sent a letter (via DownsizeDC‘s action center) to Senator Dianne Feinstein and my other congresspeople asking her to support Rep. Barbara Lee’s bill HR 2859, which would repeal the Authorization to Use Military Force–the law from 2001 which effectively kicked off the War on Terror, and which was used as cover for the invasion of Iraq in 2003 (among other things).
While my letter is very short, it’s as important as it is short. I’m taking a stand against war and the improper use of military force. Kind of a big deal.
Here’s my letter:
NOTE: I realize that as a Senator, Feinstein can’t actually sponsor Rep. Lee’s bill directly, but I don’t think there’s any way to misread my intent. (I should have said something about introducing a parallel bill in the Senate…but it also goes without saying, in my opinion.)
Here is Senator Feinstein’s blatantly generic reply letter. Note that it makes no reference to the AUMF or Rep. Lee’s bill, instead talking generally about the War Powers Resolution (a 1973 law that laid out a framework for justifying military actions).
But even more important, note the closing line–which is clearly from late 2009!
Just in case you had any illusions that your letters to Congress are actually being read by (or replied to by) your congresspeople…at least in the case of Senator Dianne Feinstein, they clearly are NOT.
If this pisses you off, please click here to send a tweet to Senator Feinstein letting her know you saw her pathetic letter here and are not pleased. (If this doesn’t piss you off: WAKE UP.)
In the words of the esteemed Senator Feinstein: <![endif]>
<![endif]> indeed.