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I began this letter by addressing the President in a special way. On minority voter's rights and redistricting, our prison system and rights of individuals, speaking out on other country's acts, CIA and torture and constitutional rights, White Hall emails and Downing Street memos, the upcoming G20 summit and corporate power.
Peter Lawrence
PO Box [redacted]
[redacted]
President Barack O'bama
White House Residence
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500
3/17/09
Dear Mr. President,
There are also those in congress who think that we no longer need to protect minority voter's rights. In a related issue the Supreme Court has said that only minorities in areas where they are 50 % or more can have voter protection. This is wrong and it violates equal protection. I would hope that when those Republican Governors decide to carve up those boundaries to make that "50% or more" less than 50% The People will see it as a voter's rights issue instead of a redistricting issue. If we are smart enough this will allow us to hold on to areas with 50% minority. In the mean time, those minorities in areas under 50% will be carved up more.
The laws are set up to keep ex-criminals in a place where they would return to crime. Those who have done time and want a normal life are still in a prison of laws that stop them from having a normal life. This is why the US has more in prison per capita than anywhere else in the world. Really, think about that statement, "More than anywhere in the world"! What makes it worse is the institutionalized racism that keeps more non-whites in prison. I know you are aware of this - you must be. The People who want a real life should not be forced to "do life". But that is what is happening here. One felony will stay on your record for life which, in society, means you will be in the prison of repression for life: You have to put it on an application, it may come up in court even if it's not supposed to, you may not qualify for loans because of it, you could be denied a bank account etc. There are hundreds of things a felony could affect. But you're certainly allowed to join the army as long as you don't want to make a career at it. I'm not begging for leniency, I'm begging for fairness for all those who must endure what society forces on them.
It's a world away but that still doesn't make it disturbing. I'm referring to the news of Eudy Simelane, the former star of South Africa's female football squad. Outside of Johannesburg her body was found after unspeakable atrocities were done to her. She was "out" in South Africa as a lesbian. I know it's not our country and I know we've had a long history with South Africa but I feel it would be important for someone in the administration to make a statement. Since she was a lesbian she was "correctively gang raped", beaten and stabbed 25 times. Men in the region seem to think that raping lesbian women will make them straight. Perhaps this is something The First Lady could bring up. Her voice would certainly go a long way. Our silence speaks loudly and the longer we remain quiet the louder we become in condoning these actions.
Other recent news from the International Committee of the Red Cross where information was released that said the Bush Administration used harsh interrogation techniques that "constituted torture." They strongly implied that CIA interrogators violated international law. Your administration again is defending the indefensible. So first your administration says that those who tortured should be defended and after that your justice department says that former detainees cannot sue. The current justice department is acting like the Bush administration's. They argue that ex-detainees don't have constitutional rights. And even if they did, Rumsfeld and other's are immune from prosecution because detainees’ right not to be tortured and to practice their religion without abuse was “not clearly established” at the time of their detention. That is entirely wrong. It was established but ignored by the former administration. It's been established at least since World War II if I'm not mistaken.
And finally, the Secret Whitehall emails released providing new evidence that the dossier making the case for invading Iraq was "sexed up". This on top of the "Downing Street Memos" and everything else and yet your administration chooses a blind eye.
I still worry about the upcoming g20 meeting and if our governments will be able to agree on how to reduce the size of corporations so they can no longer hold such a heavy sword over the necks of The People. This may be our only chance to suppress the growing Fascism in our world. I wish you great luck and courage.
Very Sincerely yours,
Peter Lawrence
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