News & Columns > Dave Henderson > Open Letter to Congressman Jerry Lewis (Reply)

Open Letter to Congressman Jerry Lewis (Reply)

By Dave Henderson
Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Reply received on April 29, 2009

Dear Mr. Henderson:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the recent domestic "threat assessment memo" issued by the Department of Homeland Security. I share your anger over the wording of this memo, and I appreciate the chance to respond.

As you may be aware, the Department of Homeland Security is charged with developing strategies to protect against terrorist attacks on American soil. As part of that mandate, it is important that the intelligence experts consider all possible scenarios and be ready to respond. As our vigilant armed forces know better than most Americans, our enemies in the War on Terror are ruthless and will stop at nothing to attack our nation.

While there is no doubt that the strategists must consider all potential threats, it is absolutely disgusting that a widely circulated memo would characterize as terrorists citizens exercising their constitutional rights to protest and challenge government policies. And it is outrageous that the memo writer would suggest that a significant threat comes from our military men and women returning from the Middle East. Those brave protectors deserve all of our respect and praise, not suspicions of dangerous attitudes.

Most members of Congress - both Democrats and Republicans - expressed our outrage over this memo and Secretary Napolitano's defense of it. We were joined by the vast majority of Americans like you, who demanded an apology over the handling of the issue.

In the wake of the controversy, Secretary Napolitano met with National Commander David Rehbein of the American Legion and publicly apologized. The report was not worthy of the department and should never have been released, she told Commander Rehbein. As a result of the meeting, the commander accepted her apology and gained promises that the Department of Homeland Security would increase its efforts to hire veterans for its wide range of positions. She noted that the department already employs some 44,000 veterans. Other veterans groups, including AMVETS and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, have expressed satisfaction that Secretary Napolitano has dealt adequately with this issue.

Despite these apologies, I have joined other members of Congress in sternly warning the department that it must protect against the politicization of assessment reports. It is irresponsible - and potentially dangerous - to focus on conservative groups and blind ourselves to the wide range of threats we face from terrorists.

Thank you again for contacting me in this matter. I assure you that we will carefully monitor these memos in the future to ensure that they are balanced and avoid ridiculous accusations of potential threats from our brave veterans.

Sincerely,

Jerry Lewis
Member of Congress

Original Open Letter

Representative Jerry Lewis
United States Congress
2112 Rayburn House Office Building
District of Columbia 20515-0541

April 16, 2009

Dear Mr. Lewis

Like millions of Americans, I just finished writing tax checks to the Government. Then I read the Homeland Security Threat Assessment. As a veteran, I am very insulted. In fact, I am so mad I could spit nails!

Let me quote:

"Rightwing extremist chatter on the Internet continues to focus on the economy, the perceived loss of U.S. jobs in the manufacturing and construction sectors, and home foreclosures…"

First, I will ask the author to please quantify what a "Rightwing extremist" is. "Perceived Loss"? Sir, after nearly 20 years as an Engineer in the Semiconductor industry my company was sold to the French who then shipped my job to Communist China! I was not eligible for unemployment insurance because I wanted to start my own business instead of working for another company who could do the same. That was not a perceived loss of my job; it was very real. It eliminated every last dollar of my retirement savings. Then the Government not only taxed, but penalized me for needing to use the money that I had saved to survive and feed my family.

During the destructive wild fires of 2003 and 2007 that ravaged your district, we nearly lost our home twice. Millions of people turned to a small news web site called RIMOFTHEWORLD.net for critical information. That web site is the company my business partner and I own and operate. We are one of the millions of small businesses struggling to survive.

All I see is higher taxes and no relief in sight while the large businesses that shipped our jobs to China receive multi-million dollar bonuses and bail outs with my tax dollars.

I truly wish I could hire people, but that will not be an option for some time — if we survive at all. My income has gone from over six figures to below poverty level. The only reason I still have a home is that I worked hard and paid it off before the economy went in the trash. I, like many, have a very good reason to be mad as hell.

"DHS/I&A assesses that rightwing extremist groups' frustration over a perceived lack of government action on illegal immigration has the potential to incite individuals or small groups toward violence."

Again, there is no "perceived lack of government action on illegal immigration". It's a fact! The Government has done next to nothing to protect our borders. Instead, they force the states to pay billions to provide free heath care to illegals. It costs billions to educate them and imprison those who break our laws. Some people want to give illegals special treatment to go to our colleges and universities, while I cannot send my own daughter, an American citizen, to college.

I ask, does voicing concerns about these issues make one a threat to the United States?

The Obama administration has chosen to blame the Second Amendment of our Constitution for violence south of the border instead of decades of failed drug policy. The open border is the threat! Not the people who express their displeasure through free speech.

"DHS/I&A assesses that rightwing extremists will attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans in order to exploit their skills and knowledge derived from military training and combat."

The American military veterans are among the most patriotic of all Americans. Since when does a strong belief in the Constitution of our country make one a threat? The author of this document needs to visit Arlington, maybe the Vietnam Wall or the American Cemetery in Normandy. Many returning American veterans have paid for our freedom with blood. To characterize them as a potential threat to the very country they have served is an insult and incredibly demeaning.

"…heightened interest in legislation for tighter firearms restrictions and returning military veterans, as well as several new trends, including an uncertain economy and a perceived rising influence of other countries, may be invigorating right-wing extremist activity,"

So, if one has strong beliefs in the Constitution, religious beliefs, concern about illegal immigration or the economy, one may be a right-wing terrorist nut case? Sir, I am deeply concerned that this thinking exists in my government — the very government that I would have freely given my life to defend. It is appalling that this thinking not only exists, but that it is paid for by my tax dollars!

Let us talk about a real threat to our nation. How about illegal immigrant gangs like MS-13? What about the revolving-door justice system that keeps putting violent criminals back on our streets to prey on our children? How about radical left-wing extremists that kill people and destroy homes, businesses and property in the name of some endangered field rat? How about Islamic terrorists that can traverse our borders at will and that do intend to kill us? These are very real threats to our country and our very way of life.

One last quote:

"No portion of the LES information should be released to the media, the general public, or over non-secure Internet servers."

Someone released this unbelievably insulting piece of trash. I am in the media and I will insure that every reader within my reach sees this information. Other than his own lunacy and bias, what does the writer fear by allowing the citizens of this country to see his work? I would like to remind my government officials this is the very reason why we have a First Amendment to the Constitution — freedom of speech and freedom of the press — and a Second Amendment to ensure that the First, Fourth and Fifth cannot be taken away by faceless government officials who have obviously never studied why the document exists in the first place.

As a taxpayer, veteran and citizen, I demand that the author of this "Threat Assessment" document be fired. The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of this country and belief in that document does not make one a terrorist or a threat.

I know, Mr. Lewis, that you did not write this document. However, you are my only outlet to vent my disgust. You have always been responsive to my communications. I very much appreciate that you always take the time to respond to the issues not just send a form letter in return.

This is being posted as an open letter on our news site so that others can form their own opinion. I truly hope that you will hear from many of them to express that this is not acceptable. It is reminiscent of a Fascist government — not a Republican democracy.

Sincerely,

David L. Henderson
Vice-President & Chief Operating Officer
Vicinitas, LLC

Homeland Security Document:
http://video1.washingtontimes.com/video/extremismreport.pdf

This article was first published on Thursday, April 16, 2009 at 4:09 pm. This article has been viewed 1459 times.

Dave Henderson is the Vice-President of Operations for RIMOFTHEWORLD.net and it's parent company Vicinitas, LLC. Dave is the commercial and operational manager for the site.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of RIMOFTHEWORLD.net. This column is copyrighted by Dave Henderson.