An American Resolution for 2007 - Ask Questions

A New Year’s Resolution for 'We the People.'

Ask Questions! Americans need to know what is going on in their own backyards. Modern terrors such as crime and punishment, unemployment, ignorance, drug and alcohol abuse, despair, suicide, sexual abuse, toxic waste, cancer, and rampant corruption affect and will continue to impact the quality of life in every community in America.

Politicians prefer simple black and white answers to the cloudy realities real Americans face every day. Why do we allow them to paint our world black and white, and play on our fears of real and fabricated boogiemen? Over 3,000 people died during the tragic events of 9/11/01. Terrorists are real threats, but have our leaders made us safer?

Has the Iraq war made America safer? Where is Bin Laden? Does the U.S. have enough troops in Afghanistan? How many Americans have died from murder in our major cities since September 11th? How many lives have been cut short by preventable diseases? How does the massive national debt impact our security? Does our educational system leave us vulnerable? Does your state and community have enough resources to respond in the event of a major disaster?

Is this Homeland Security?

Americans need to ask their federal, state, and local government officials what the Hell is going on? And demand honest answers. These politicians are employees of the people. We can not afford to let them forget who is boss! Speak up and inform our employees what issues are most important to everyday Americans. We can no longer rely on party politics to solve our problems.

Defend America – Ask Questions

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Checks and Balances

I wanted to share with you the news that I have been elected by the Democratic Caucus as the Chairman designate of the House Judiciary Committee in the 110th Congress. While I am now the Chairman-designate, I will not assume the Chairmanship until January when the new Congress is sworn in on January 4. I am very honored to be elected by my colleagues to this important position.

I also am very grateful to you (the progressive blogging community). Together, we helped bring public attention to the Downing Street Minutes , warrantless wiretapping, and the disenfranchisement of Ohio voters and on many, many other fronts. While the public has expressed its concern about these issues, the Republican Congress was largely derelict in looking at any of the Bush administration's excesses. Thankfully, these -- and other -- areas will now be subject to greater scrutiny and examination, and the lack of oversight of the last six years will finally yield to checks and balances.

For my part, I believe this election was very much about restoring transparency and accountability to Washington and I will seek to do that as Chairman. I think the Judiciary Committee should become a place where we tackle important legislative issues, like lobbying reform and election reform, and where we ascertain the truth for the American people. I hope I will be the kind of Chairman you can be proud of.

It won't happen overnight. There is the inevitable lag between the election, the lame duck session of Congress, and the transition to the Majority. And there is so much left undone over the last six years.

Most importantly, I wish you a happy holiday season and I thank you for everything you have done in the past and will continue to do in the New Year to build a better democracy.

Your Friend,

John Conyers, Jr.

Check out the link to Downing Street Minutes . It links to a YouTube excerpt from Rep. Conyers infamous "basement hearings." Conyers was forced by the Republican Controlled Congress to hold hearings about the Bush Administration'’s conduct in entering us into this Middle-East Misadventure in a basement room, a clear snub and display of powerinduced arrogance.

Hopefully, Rep. Conyers will reject the understandable temptation for getting payback on his Republican foes. I hope he will conduct thorough, professional investigations that will lead to convictions. I wonder if any will be held accountable?

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Freedom

"Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves, and, under a just God, can not long retain it."
- Abraham Lincoln

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