July 18, 2007
by Steve Osborn

We wrote to you about banning cluster bombs. Most of the world wants such things banned. The major holdouts are the United States and Israel. You sent me the usual computer generated message which said in part,

"You should know that I share your concern regarding the use of cluster munitions in and around concentrated populations of civilians. During the consideration of Department of Defense appropriations for fiscal year 2007 in the Senate last year, I joined a number of my Senate colleagues in supporting an amendment to that bill that would ban the use or transfer of cluster munitions unless rules for their use ensured they would never be used near population concentrations,   whether cities, towns or temporary populations of refugees. Unfortunately, this measure failed to pass, on a vote of 30 to 70."

What the hell is wrong with pushing for an outright ban? The damned things kill forever. Even if you scatter them in a near abandoned countryside, the hiker or farmer using or crossing the land years later stands a good chance of getting maimed or killed.

We are supposed to be so concerned with human rights and the environment, but whenever a ban on WMD of any type comes up, we either vote no, abstain, or if we have the power, we veto it.

No wonder the rest of the world has recognized us, and our government, as a bunch of hypocrites.

We worked our butts off electing Democrats with the expectation that they would fight to end the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and get our kids home.

We expected you to see that the Constitution and the Bill of Rights would be returned, intact and functioning, to the Halls of Government.

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We wanted to see such things as the misnamed "Patriot Act" and the Military Commissions Act expunged.

We wanted to see an end to torture and renditions and gulags. We wanted to see an  end to illegal surveillance and wire tapping of Americans.

What have we gotten? Token legislation with more money for the Bush Gang to prosecute war, no ban on nuking Iran or Syria, plenty of business as usual with lots of pork for the big money donors.

Above all, since the 2006 election, we have received thousands of appeals to give money and time preparing for the 2008 election.

If we follow those requests, all we can expect is appeals for more money starting in November 2008 for the 2010 elections, and more "business as usual" legislation to pay off the big money boys. And, no doubt, we'll still be losing kids in Iraq and Afghanistan, if not Iran and Syria, too.

No, Senator Murray, I think the time has come for We the People of the United States of America to look deep into the cesspool that Washington DC has become and look for another way to solve our problems. The Democrats and the Republicans are definitely not the way to go.

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I imagine it will become the victim of the delete key before anybody but some grunt screener sees it, but we do keep trying.

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Stephen M. Osborn [send him email] is a freelance writer living on Camano Island in the Pacific Northwest. He is an "Atomic Vet." (Operation Redwing, Bikini Atoll 1956, ) who has been very active working and writing for nuclear disarmament and world peace. He is a retired Fire Battalion Chief, lifelong sailor, writer, poet, philosopher, historian and former newspaper columnist.