I sent this letter to Senators Cantwell and Murray tonight. It's slightly edited from the version I sent them.
This is the first time I've written a senator so please forgive me if I don't articulate my thoughts correctly. I have lived in Washington State for four years now, I've been known to vote for both Republicans and Democrats, and I don't generally participate in the line of thought that says we should withdraw troops immediately. Personally, I think we should let the Iraqis set our deadline via referendum. Regardless, I've found myself in disagreement with Cindy Sheehan often.
Despite that, I felt a great sense of dread as I read reports of her being arrested, handcuffed and escorted out of the State of the Union address, an audience clapping and smiling in unison behind her. Her crime was to wear a shirt displaying the current count of American casualties in Iraq. Devoid of context it was a number, taken literally it was merely a fact, interpolated within its innuendo it was a political statement, but understood by those who required an unchallenged message of unity it was seen as a threat.
Are these really the actions of a government that at every opportunity espouses the virtues of freedom to its citizens? How can we expect to be seen as sincere advocates of liberty to the Middle East when our government openly, brazenly supresses dissidence within the very place intended to protect it? We've survived and prospered for centuries despite no lack of discord and contention. Why should the government cower from it now?
I confess that my motives in this are self-serving. I wish to retain the right -- and confidence -- that if I were to some day feel as passionate and motivated as Cindy Sheehan I would be able to express that opinion publicly without intimidation or removal, and that I would be approached with debate rather than reprisal. I feel this should be permissible regardless of the political affiliations of the aggrieved.
I would ask you to introduce a bill allowing contrary viewpoints to be legally (though quietly) displayed at Presidential addresses, however I believe this would be redundant with previously adopted, well-known legislation. Instead, I request that you ask the senate to condemn the removal of an American citizen from a public speech due to her political beliefs.
Respectfully,
Boss Tweed
P.S. I have sent a copy of this email to your colleague