A letter to my senators dated July 26, 2002.

Dear Senators,

As your constituent, I am writing to encourage you to oppose President Bush's Operation TIPS - a program to recruit one million volunteers to act as spies and informants against their neighbors. Specifically, I ask that you take action to prohibit federal funding for this program in any guise.

As I'm sure you've heard, President Bush has proposed recruiting one million volunteers -- letter carriers, utility workers, cable installers, and others whose jobs allow them access to private residences -- to report "suspicious" activity. This would mean that peoples' homes will be searched without cause or warrants, and it would also turn neighbor against neighbor and potentially generate thousands of unreasonable and unwarranted charges against innocent people, charges that would sap federal investigatory resources.

This program is causing great controversy in the Congress. I've read that Republicans and Democrats in the House, as part of the legislation creating the new Homeland Security Department, are supporting language proposed by House Majority Leader Richard Armey that would prohibit Operation TIPS.

But I believe that the Homeland Security legislation pending in the Senate does not include such prohibitions. Unless the Senate acts specifically to kill Operation TIPS, it could mean that the program would survive. I therefore hope that you will amend the Senate version of the Homeland Security Department legislation to prohibit the TIPS program.

I thank you in advance for your support and action on this very important issue and look forward to hearing your thoughts about this crucial matter.

Sincerely,

Rob Carlson

No Comments | #463

Unless noted, all content on epistolary.org is © Copyright 1999-2008 to Rob Carlson with all rights reserved. All information is verified when possible, cited as appropriate and applied in the real world at your own risk. Send all feedback to rob@vees.net.