It's been refreshing to see the country united in support of its basic, founding principles.
Lead by Congressional Representatives on their summer break, we're now seeing a groundswell of opposition to the very existence of the NSA, and there's no doubt at least its surveillance over-reach will be curtailed when Congress returns to session.
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It all began in one of the nation's safest democratic districts (TX CD 18) where once again Sheila Jackson Lee used that safety to be the spearhead of another key piece of legislation. Tom Delay had to put the Democrats somewhere when he gerrymandered Texas, and Sheila has repeatedly used that safety to stand up to the corporatocracy and the military industrial complex when they threatened the freedom and economic interests of her constituents or the 99% nationwide.
It all started with the use of the franking privilege to use actual paper-based mail to educate the citizens on the dangers posed by the NSA surveillance state. "While the franking privilege is usually used to blow my own horn and to raise money, I thought that actual Bill of Rights concerns would be another justified use of the franking privilege" said Jackson Lee. "It was also a benefit that it couldn't be snooped on by the NSA."
Once educated to the dangers, a series of town hall meetings were called during Congress' summer recess, culminating in large public rallies in defense of our rights and demanding the restoration of the 4th Amendment and the dismantling of the NSA. Started in safe, democratic Congressional districts, the movement has spread like wildfire across the country. "At first I was OK keeping my constituents and America at large in the dark about the growth of the surveillance state. It seemed like trading liberty for the illusion of security was a good deal" Barbara Boxer said. "Now, I'm seeing what real leadership looks like and you can count me on board to protect the Constitution I swore to protect".
In a surprising show of bi(tri-, quadro-?)-partisanship, Republicans, Libertarians and Tea Party members have also turned out to demand the restoration of basic rights. At an NRA rally Ted Nugent said "The second amendment isn't just about having guns for the sake of having guns, compensating for a small penis, or railing against taxes or a black president. Second Amendment supporters have always said we need the Second Amendment to protect our other rights. Today I'm standing with Sheila to Restore the 4th"
And then my alarm clock went off