With a nod to late Saddam Hussein and other modern fascists President Bush has issued what is called a signing statement that impacts the publics right to privacy. In the statement, he asserts the federal government right to open your general mail under emergency conditions without a warrant. The significance lies in the undefined "emergency conditions" declaration.
The statement and the reason behind it.
I used to work with a wonderful man named Lee Silver of The Shubert Organization, Inc. On his office wall hung inconspicuously was this plaque with a very conspicuous proverb. It read, "Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they are not looking at you." My point here being, don't we believe they are and always have been reading our mail? My impression was sometimes they read peoples mail as a random check and other times as a targeted operation. This power, Bush has assured us has always been in place. If this is true, why bring this fact up, now. Why raise the paranoia level about Homeland Security at this time? The event seems to be as Lewis Carroll wrote in Alice in Wonderland, curiouser and curiouser.
Bridging the generation gap with distrust.
In Florida the retirement set, refer to Bush and Hitler in the same breath. This comes with their indignation over his stand on the Social Security reform. Even though they would not have been affected by the proposed changes, they felt threatened. Many of these people lived through or know of the paranoid McCarthy Era. A time in this country, when it seemed everyone was pointing at everyone else accusing and denying supposed ties to communism. This newest episode has them saluting "Sieg Heil" while exclaiming "that little Nazi is at it again." The younger generation usually at odds with the older seems to be standing more in their elder's camp over this one. Bush's trust rating is sliding lower and lower as we speak. Yet, no one can shake the feeling that this reading of your mail was being performed not so on the sly anyway. Lee Silver's plaque may reflect a reality of the publics thinking in this matter. That makes the hullabaloo over the signing statement puzzling at best.
Did we forget or do we not understand?
Another inequity of the outrage of the signing statement is people use email. Email never goes away. You may delete it off your computers, but it will forever hang out with other discarded emails in cyberspace. What's more, discarded emails are fair game and can be retrieved without warrant. Deleted email is equated with throwing out the garbage. Once it hits the curbside, it is considered in public domain and anyone can take it and use it as they please. I am sure everyone has received or written an email of either great confidentiality, possible incrimination, or just down right embarrassing in nature. In a sense the uproar of over the mail reading may be ludicrous.
Who supports the statement signing?
As far as I can tell GW, Cheney, right wing activists, possibly some members of the John Birch Society and any group that marches for the right to be paranoid and delusional. Capitol Hill on the other hand is not so supportive. Incoming House Government Reform chairperson, Rep. Henry Waxman of California, who co-sponsored the bill associated with the signing statement, does not support the Bush contention. If fact he refers to the signing statement as an attempt circumvent the public's basic right to privacy.
The Clinton – Bush bond
Historians claim that despite the embarrassment of the man's personal actions, Clinton will be remembered as a great president. Bush watchers (or whackers, the preference is yours) feel despite the great things he has done, his legacy will be undermined by his tendency toward overkill. Once of his greatest public relation coups was to pair former presidents, Bill Clinton and his father George H. W. Bush as international ambassadors of goodwill representing our country. While the reasons for choosing papa George run deep rooted in family, the choice of Bill Clinton may be a bond through shared attitude. During the whole scenario of the investigation of Clinton's scandalous tabloid missteps, he remained smug. President G. W. appears to exhibit much the same attitude when confronted about his possible dubious policies. Thus, the ying and the yang of their common bond.
A little bit of balance
There is no denying during his presidency G. W. Bush has risen to the occasion and time may reveal a level of greatness. This is the man the held the nation together during the immediate aftermath of 9/11. Since then may be another story. In addition, while his plan to overhaul Social Security ended in whimper, it was more than anyone else has ever done since FDR. A person who seeks solutions where everyone knows is needed, but no one ventures is a true leader of people. He made an effort. The flipside of his actions were the people who opposed his measures took more action to quash Bush ideas then they ever did in solving the problem. Furthermore, as the Bush measures died, so did the efforts to revamp and save the Social Security system. In my eyes, Bush succeeded in exposing those entrusted with the survival of Social Security as frauds and failures. I do not write this in support of the proposed Bush plan, but to acknowledge the courage to take initiative.
To form an opinion on the Bush signing statement, we have sort out our foundation of beliefs and perceptions. If you believe these measures were being taken before this event and were indifferent, you have to weight the validity to judge it right or wrong at this time. On the other hand, if you did believe and were openly opposed of this invasion of your privacy, you may have found your time to join the cause. Among the freedoms give to us in the Declaration of Independence and The Constitutions is the right to rise up and protect our rights.
As for me, since the signing statement in my last two mail deliveries one piece each arrive opened. The flap on one was undeniably torn. The promotional cd was still inside but not in the sleeve. I have to wonder what from Nightingale-Conant, a motivational and sales audio distributor could prompt the suspicion of an emergency condition. I am sure once they saw the prices charged they deemed it deplorable material.
