An Open Letter To Congress

 Let me first tell of who I am and where I come from to give some background to why I am going to say the things I am going to say. I am a lifelong Texan born and raised in Texas, a 3rd generation native Austinite. I am now considered to be old, among the last of the boomers. I am white, publicly educated, and hold no degrees. I did attend college completing two years of study in various institutions of higher learning, discovering a deep love of history and specifically American political history concerning the Revolutionary war and The Founding. I am deeply read in those areas for a layman, I believe, having read biographies on Jefferson, Hamilton and other founders as well as The Federalist Papers, Democracy in America, and more. I know from those readings the reasons our form of government is called an experiment in democracy and that it has been challenged many, many times before.

I also know that democracy survived those challenges, usually with the staunch help of fearless institutions. The press, the church ..and the U.S. Congress. It is Congress' constitutionally defined obligation to hold the executive and the judicial branches of our government in check. They have failed in the past and are failing now, due to, as far as I can tell loyalty to their party and/or to their donors. Both of these failures now deserve the intimate attentions of the American people.

I have communicated my questions as to when my representatives will be exercising this power to end the current executive overreaches we are experiencing in real time. I have yet to receive responses from either of my Senators, and my Representative sent back what was basically a from letter and political pablum, but at least he replied to his constituent. 

Here's what I expect from my representatives: full and impartial investigations into crimes and misdemeanors committed by the executive branch, and if found to have been knowingly and criminally committed, impeachment proceedings. Find the truth then act on it as if they weren't politicians in your party. You owe them no loyalty. Your service belongs to me and your other constituents. If you will not serve us, then I will actively and with every resource I possess work to put you out of office. And while I do not have the financial capabilities some of your donors do, I do have and maintain a vast network of friends, family and contacts within my community. I will be spreading the word.

However, I do not believe that my attempts to unseat my representatives who have chosen not to represent us will truly change the political landscape. I do know of one power that, since the Revolution, has not been fully tested. And I believe it is time. I believe that, we the people need to demand that Congress do its job and protect and defend America against all enemies, both foreign....and particularly, domestic. To demand that government cease and desist from unconstitutional behaviors, i.e.; illegal searches and seizures, use of undo force, unconstitutional detentions, etc., etc.

And before you blow me off as a starry-eyed, bleeding-heart liberal, consider this:

    What if it was your mother or father being dragged out into the cold without due process and no probable cause? What if your son was driving home from school and was stopped, his car severely damaged and he is dragged out of his car , handcuffed and disappeared? Even if you don't think these things can happen to you or your family, take a minute and imagine it. Because it is happening in cities and communities all over the country to people just like you and I. And I can promise you beyond any reasonable doubt, that if it can happen to them, you could most definitely be next. Anyone who understands history knows that to be true.

So I am calling on Congress do do its duty to their constituents. Do it, Senators and Representatives, or not as you see fit, But understand that we will be watching like you've never been watched before and you will answer to the people on election day.

And I am calling on the people to do the watching. Call, write, email or hell, send up smoke signals to your elected representative and demand that they do their jobs. Let me also promise that a couple of hundred communications a day to a Congressional office that all basically say the same thing will definitely get attention. So do your duty to your country and communicate your dissatisfaction to your representatives. Vote, every single time there's an election. Listen to the campaigns and vote your conscience, but hold 'em to it. You are the boss, here. Act like it.