I write this letter particularly to the high school and college students in our community who need to be aware of the profound corruption in our federal government.
I have publicly asked our Representative Rush Holt to help us, by sharing his insider perspective, by suggesting an assessment of the manner, depth, extent, and consequences of corruption in the institution of which he is part. He has refused. After I did this, many of my friends suggested to me that I should have written more about specific crimes for Holt to focus on. We’re not just talking about crimes; we are also talking about acts that are immoral and deadly, yet legal.
The slightest sincere perusal of the matter will reveal that countless books and reports by some very talented and sincere people have been made public in the last decade that outline various facets of this corruption and indict beyond reasonable doubt many politicians currently in office and in the Bush administration with numerous examples of lying to the public, cheating the taxpayer, violating the Constitution and their oath of office, and committing atrocities and war crimes, resulting in loss of our treasures, and bringing torture, suffering, and death to thousands of people, all in service to the rich and powerful people that extract compliance from these politicians.
What more is necessary to say about such behavior by a citizen expecting a congressman to fulfill his oath of office? Must I write a book, only to have it ignored? More specifically and recently, a bipartisan panel has concluded that the Bush administration knowingly practiced torture; McClatchy’s Washington Bureau obtained evidence that the Obama administration lied about whom they target with drones; and the Justice Department has announced that, despite crimes committed by HSBC Holdings, the government will not seek criminal indictment of any HSBC official.
What more does a congressman need for me to say here? When politicians refuse to act on such public information, are they not part of a cover up? How many transgressions does it take for one to conclude — and acknowledge — that there is a pervasive, unacceptable level of corruption in government?
Our country is in serious decline. I urge you to develop a curiosity and interest in becoming aware how this corruption in government will affect your future. Read about these things, and ask your parents and teachers about them, and if the case may be, point the way for their own education on these profoundly important issues of life and death that many of them are choosing to ignore.
Tom Tonon
West Windsor
