Congressional Candidate Allan Stevo signs BORDC’s New Declaration for Independence Day, Declaration Appears in New York Times
This is a press release that we sent out on yesterday's kickoff of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee's national campaign kickoff. - Allan
Congressional Candidate Allan Stevo signs BORDC’s New Declaration for Independence Day, Declaration Appears in New York Times
New York Times Ad Kicks off National Campaign
With Independence Day approaching, the Bill of Rights Defense Committee (BORDC) is issuing a new declaration signed by nearly 600 people and organizations who reject sacrifices of their liberties in the name of security and who pledge their support for fully restoring Constitutional rights and human rights.
Among the signers is Tenth District candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, Allan Stevo. “Our congressional campaign is being run in support of the US Constitution and its lofty goals of freedom for every American. Having the opportunity to join BORDC is signing this declaration is an honor.” commented Stevo.
BORDC is running "A Declaration for Our Times" as a half-page signature ad in The New York Times. The ad appears today, July 3 on page A-15. The group has also recorded the declaration as video and audio public service announcements.
According to Christopher Pyle, who wrote the Declaration, "The situation that we face today is in many ways worse than the situation that sparked the war for independence. George W. Bush's violations of liberty far exceed anything that King George III ever did."
"Many Americans feel dispirited by the continuing array of freedom-robbing laws, policies, and government actions, including warrantless domestic spying, torture, and unlimited detentions, which they see as un-American," BORDC director Nancy Talanian explained. "In this Declaration, we are calling out the administration for usurping our constitutional rights and committing ourselves to resolving our grievances through all lawful means available, as the founding fathers did."
The declaration launches BORDC's People's Campaign for the Constitution, which is organizing local grassroots coalitions during the 2008 election season and beyond to hold candidates for public office accountable to the constitutional principles to which they must swear an oath.
“Some Congressmen clearly do not understand what it means to uphold the Constitution. Other Congressmen, simply choose not to uphold the Constitution. Neither are preferable choices because it leads us further down the path of diminished freedom for virtually every American.” said Stevo.
In 2002, BORDC spearheaded a nationwide campaign that put city, county, and state governments on record for upholding their residents' constitutional rights. The passage of eight statewide resolutions and more than 400 local resolutions and ordinances led Congress to strengthen its oversight when it reauthorized the PATRIOT Act in 2006. However, BORDC recognizes new approaches are needed.
"A major challenge we face," Talanian says, "is that Congress has been rubber-stamping the President's lawlessness on a range of constitutional abuses." She pointed to the administration's warrantless wiretapping program as an example. "Congress should be restoring the privacy of Americans' telephone calls and electronic communications and demanding specifics on how the administration violated the law. Unfortunately, Congress has repeatedly voted to change the laws that the administration has apparently been breaking," she said.
In order to end the practice of Congress giving in to fear mongering about terrorism, Talanian said, "The people need to organize themselves locally and to meet with legislators and candidates face to face, in coalitions. After all, the U.S. government was created to serve the people. Therefore, we need to set the government's agenda and communicate to our representatives clearly that we are unwilling to accept suspensions of our liberties and of anyone's human rights in exchange for our government's promises of greater security."
Stevo, in agreement with Talanian’s suggestion that we organize locally commented "We've either got to get more involved, or to stop caring so much about what's going on in DC. I'm not ready to give up yet, and I don't want the frustration that comes with sitting home and doing nothing. I want to get out there, as an American, and ask both of my opponents the tough questions that they don't get asked. We will never have the government we want unless we engage the government we have. We won't have the leaders we want unless more of us get off the couch and run ourselves."
Stevo’s run is built around greater freedom for all Americans, something that few politicians seem to believe in. “Allan Stevo is the only candidate in the Tenth District race who unequivocally supports the US Constitution,” commented Libertyville resident Damian Mika.
- Allan Stevo for Congress's blog
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