Action Alert: Write Speaker Peloski, thanking her for her support of citizan's rights.

War protesters allowed to spray paint the U.S. Capitol
Capitol Chief of Police tells officers not to arrest anyone

During last Saturday's Washington rally protesting the war in Iraq, hundreds of anti-war protesters were allowed to spray paint the Capitol with anarchist symbols. Capitol Police Chief Phillip Morse ordered his officers to fall back and allow the protesters to exercise their First Amendment rights. Morse later said, "The graffiti was easily removed by the staff. It is our duty and responsibility to protect the Capitol complex, while allowing the public to exercise their freedom of speech." The Capitol Chief of Police takes his orders directly from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

Now, you may hear people calling for retribution on these protesting citizens who, just like those calling for retaliation against them, were just speaking their minds and expressing themselves. I have heard talk about how poor government workers had to come in on their day off to clean the steps at taxpayers expense, but you won't hear anyone mention about how the protesters are taxpayers too. No one mentions the fact that with a government bent on spending thousands for a toilet seat, a bit of overtime pay isn't going to kill the economy. Not a word is spoken about how most of those workers were glad for the extra pay in these tough financial times. I have even seen it written that Nancy Pelosi is one of the protester's most outspoken allies. Good. The American people need someone in the government on our side. It's about darned time!

E-mail Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and ask that she take pride in herself and Chief Morse for protecting your rights in a time when they seem to be of ever-decreasing importance to our government. Furthermore, she should publicly state that this new congress strongly supports all citizens in contacting their representatives and their government officials and expressing their views on the issues most important to them.

If you desire to speak with her office, her direct number is 202-225-4965. The link to send Speaker Nancy Pelosi is from the AFA, and the pre-populated form letter will need to be rewritten to say anything supportive of her and the Chief's actions, as they would like to have every participant in the spray painting incident arrested. Click Here to Email Speaker Nancy Pelosi It is easy to modify the form letter.

Now, I firmly believe that "destruction of public property" is worth a ticket or citation, but not an arrest. Given the options at the protest however, where the choices were to a) allow the spray painting to occur, or b) escalate the encounter into a dangerous and possibly violent show of police force against peaceful protesters in an effort to restrain, ticket, or arrest them, I really think the police did the right thing in standing down. For a common protester like myself, with children who refuse to stay home while I stand outside in the cold, reading this news was a breath of fresh air. maybe there is still hope for freedom after all. Let's not let the AFA take away this small glimmer of hope. Take action now!

Write what you want, just make sure your voice is heard!

To get involved with the Declaration of Peace National Coordinating Body, one of the grassroots action campaigns that helped to arrange the protests, click here

Here is what I wrote;

Dear Speaker Pelosi,
I am very much surprised by the action of the war protesters spray painting the steps of the Capitol.
While it would not have been my chosen form of nonviolent protest, I find it encouraging and liberating that someone in the US government is willing to stand up and enforce the rights of the American people. Capitol Police Chief Phillip Morse deserves an award of honor for doing what so many others in his position would have not had the courage to do; uphold American civil liberties.

In this day and age, when officers of the law are regularly stealing people's rights in violent, vicious, and harmful manners during peaceful protests, actions like Chief Morse's are to be commended.
Thank you for your time,