This is a special purpose diary for those interested in the plans to distribute this series, Restoring Our Constitution, to members of Congress. I will post developments in separate diaries as necessary.
I’ve emailed many of the principals involved, but there are a few contributors for whom I have no contact information, or whose email address bounced. Hence this update on our plans here. Issues include the debate on editing prior to distribution, considering the best date for the distribution, and of course the legal issues, such as copyright clearing for those diaries with images and making sure every contributor is willing to allow this type of publication and distribution. If you are a contributor and did not hear from me today via email, please email me using the address on my page. I will forward my emails to you.
Details below the fold.
I am not a lawyer myself, and so if anyone has advice on copyright law and whether we need releases. To this end, Irishkorean suggested a good website, Creative Commons, for rights management. PatriotDailyNewsClearinghouse wrote that perhaps it would be wise for all contributors to check the content of their own diaries to ensure that all material was either cleared for reproduction if copyrighted or under public domain. Other suggestions are welcomed.
Elise is willing to help with editing once the semester and grading is done. If anyone else is willing to help with the nuts and bolts of editing, transferring to PDF, making CDs, etc., please contact me at my public email address.
Nightprowlkitty sent me a couple of links for the press release issue, both how to set one up and how to contact the AP: AP contact and press release writing.
Elise also suggested that late May or early June would be a good time for the visits, as opposed to spring break. Nightprowlkitty and I have problems with a particular week in April. My biggest concern is to make sure that we make sure that we get this to Congress before the Senate bills, or even conference bills, come up for a vote. I would appreciate suggestions from the community on tracking the two habeas bills now in the Judiciary committee. I am still new to this, and I want to get it right.
Nightprowlkitty and madgranny have volunteered to accompany my stage-fright prone self on the distribution run, once we determine a date. Elise, of course, is game in early June once she’s free of teaching duties. Any and all other volunteers are most welcome.
On a brief aside: whether all members of Congress read this work is beside the point of this project. The point, to me, is that we make a statement that we have noted the trend to undermine habeas corpus, and are willing to not just comment and pontificate upon it, but to actually show up in person to make our objections known. In other words, this is about us, all of us who are fed up and unwilling to see any more of our rights abrogated in whole or in part.