My e-mail to Congressman Mike Rogers about XKeyscore

16 points by mikecarroll 12 years ago | 2 comments

If anybody wants to use this template to send a similar message, this is the URL (zipcode 48915 is in his district and will get you past the submission filter): http://mikerogers.house.gov/contact/

(Here's the Guardian article I refer to: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/31/nsa-top-secret-program-online-data)

Congressman Rogers,

I apologize for misrepresenting my zipcode to get to this page to send you an e-mail, I live in Brooklyn and am not in your district.

However, as an American, I feel that you owe me and the rest of the American people an explanation for your statement in reference to Edward Snowden and his claims about low-level analysts being able to spy on ordinary Americans with little oversight. You said of Snowden and his statement: "He's lying. It's impossible for him to do what he was saying he could do."

In light of today's article in the Guardian on the NSA's XKeyscore program, it is clear that your statement is clearly misleading, if not outright meant to mislead.

As an American, I sincerely hope you can justify this choice to misrepresent the NSA's programs to me. Seeking to undermine the credibility of a whistleblower that has acted on his conscience and to stifle public discussion about the constitutionality of the actions of federal agencies are serious violations of the trust of all Americans place in their public servants. If there is some explanation you can provide that would show that you have upheld your oath of office and the good faith I and your constituents have placed in you to defend the interests and the values of our country, I would love to hear what you have to say.

I await your reply.

Sincerely, Michael Carroll

CoreSet 12 years ago |

I sent an email to my congressman in the House of Representatives (Justin Carter, TX), asking him to justify his vote against Rep. Amash's amendment to defund select NSA programs, PRISM among them. I haven't received - and don't necessarily expect - a response.

Do you have any plans for a next step should your letter be ignored? I'm interested in being vocal about this, but I'm not sure electronic correspondence packs enough of a punch.

mikecarroll 12 years ago | |

I'm trying to think of what else to do, too. The current strategy of elected officials, all the way up to Obama, is to try to change the conversation (to the economy, to the Zimmerman shooting, to the credibility of Snowden as a person, etc.).

I'm planning on keeping up on Mike Rogers until I get a response, and keeping the correspondence public until the shame factor kicks in and he gives a response. If somebody has a better idea than that, please let me know.