This is your fourth Tell Congress email. The Chicago Faith Coalition will deliver about one email every month so that Congress hears about realities that they rarely confront.

Most Palestinians spend an extra 30 to 90 minutes or more EACH WAY and EVERY TIME they travel outside of the area where they live. This extra time is required for daily routines such as shopping, going to school or work, farming their land or going to a doctor.

Compared to that, 15 to 20 minutes once or twice a month is not much. But that is all it would take to send a message to your members of Congress with information that they rarely receive. Calling or sending a request using Congressional webmail forms will increase the likelihood that your Congressional offices will read and respond to your input.

The February Tell Congress Initiative is about FBI actions and legislation that puts our civil liberties at risk. Tell Congress to protect the bill of rights and to stop criminalizing dissent.

Send a webmail or call your Senators and your U.S. Representative today. Cut or paste some or all of the next sections. Or compose your own personal message to Congress about these issues
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In the summer of 2010 Sarah Smith, a Jewish American, went on a delegation to Palestine and Israel with two Palestinian American friends. She had been active in an interfaith Palestinian solidarity group. She was also an avid international traveler. She wanted to see firsthand  the situation in Israel and Palestine. In early December of 2010, she and her two friends, as well as six others, all Palestinians or Palestine solidarity activists in Chicago, were served with subpoenas to appear before a grand jury.

In September of 2010, the FBI had subpoenaed fourteen anti-war and international solidarity activists from Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan to appear before a grand jury. The FBI even raided some of their homes. Sarah and the others from Chicago, along with these fourteen all took the Fifth Amendment and refused to testify. However, the grand jury in Chicago continues to meet. It is expected that indictments will be issued to some of them soon, more than one year later.

On December 31, 2011 President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Sections 1031 and 1032 allow indefinite military detention without a trial or day in court. Some fear that the language is ambiguous so that even U.S. citizens and residents can be detained. The fear is that individuals would be denied the Fifth Amendment's guarantee of due process and the Sixth Amendment's right to challenge evidence and confront one's accusers.

In December of 2011, Senator Diane Feinstein introduced S. 2003 in the Senate and Representative John Garamendi introduced H.R. 3702 in the House. This legislation is entitled "Due Process Guarantee Act of 2011" and is intended to ensure that the Fifth and Sixth Amendments are not voided. As of February 8, 2012 four Representatives from Illinois were cosponsors (Guiterrez, Jackson, Rush and Schakowsky) as well as both Senators (Durbin and Kirk). Check here for Senator cosponsors and here for House cosponsors to get current listings. In addition, concerns about Section 1021 resulted in Representative Ron Paul introducing H.R. 3785 on January 18, 2012 to repeal that section entirely.

Without strong action now, our country is in danger of criminalizing political dissent - not unlike the McCarthy era. We fear that people who take positions that challenge U.S. foreign policy or are critical of Israel will have their dissent criminalized and their constitutional rights violated.

Please contact your U.S. Senators and your U.S. Representative and ask them to support the constitutional rights of any American to speak out even when these views oppose U.S. foreign policy. Also suggest that 2012 must be the year to base a just and lasting peace in Israel/Palestine on human rights, justice, equality, and security for all. We do not want to return to the McCarthy era.
  

Dear Senator or Representative:

I am deeply troubled that in September and December of 2010, the FBI issued subpoenas to 23 activists from the Jewish, Palestinian and other American communities. Those subpoenaed had spoken out about their solidarity with Palestinians and their anti-war convictions. The FBI claimed that raids and subpoenas were to investigate material support for terrorism.

I fear that charges related to terrorism are being used to criminalize political dissent.This fear was deepened with the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act. This act allows "detention without trial" and the denial of the "right to challenge evidence and confront one's accusers" if terrorism is charged.
  
I urge you to ensure that opinions and actions critical of U.S. policy not be criminalized. I urge you to ensure that FBI practices and Congressional actions do not void the Bill of Rights. Please support [H.R. 3702 if a Representative or S. 2003 if a Senator] or [Thank you for your support of ... if they are already a cosponsor of these bills.] to ensure that Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights are upheld.

We propose that Congress join Americans, Jewish Israelis and citizens from around the world to seek a just and lasting peace in Israel/Palestine by advocating the fundamental American values of human rights, equality, justice and security for all. It is only through open discussion of dissenting views that 2012 can be the year to build a solid foundation on these American values so that peace and reconciliation can come to this region.

Your Constituent,

For Illinois Senators: 
Contact Senator Durbin (website email) [phone numbers at the bottom of the page] and Senator Kirk (website email, office phone numbers).

For Senators not in Illinois:
Google using the Senator title and last name to find the Congressional website. Contact information can be found in the Contact menu.

For Representatives:
If you are in Congresswoman Schakowsky's Congressional District 9, you can contact her web based email here. Phone her office at one of the following locations: Washington DC (202-226-6890), Chicago (773-506-7100) or Evanston (847-3228-3409).

If you are in another Congressional District, Google using the Representative title and last name to find the Congressional website for your U.S. House member's website. Contact information can be found in the Contact menu. If you are unsure of who represents you, enter your 9-digit zip code here. If you do not know your 9-digit zip code, enter your address here.

Many U.S. Representative websites require you to enter your 9-digit zip code which identifies your Congressional district. This is done so that only constituents can use this email service to contact a U.S. Representative.