The debate over secret wiretapping« Thread Started on Jan 16, 2006, 10:04pm » --------------------------------------------------------------------------------The debate over secret wiretappingread source: http://www.thestate.com/mld/state/news/ ... 635804.htm• Bush undermining nation’s principles I became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1979 after coming to the United States in 1968 as a graduate student. The United States was my most-admired nation with its democracy guaranteeing freedom for all its citizens, truly a country “of the people, for the people and by the people.”I took pride in being an American until March 2003, when the United States invaded Iraq under a pretext that has proved misguided and without the broad support of our closest allies.Since then, numerous events have shown that our government and public servants have failed to uphold this great democracy.The shocking news that President Bush ordered electronic surveillance of Americans without a court order is most disturbing and outrageous. The constitutionally required warrant could have been easily obtained.Records show that 15,000 warrants had been granted since 1979, after the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act became law. Fewer than 10 were turned down, and 4,000-plus were granted after 9/11.Can anyone imagine that The New York Times in the ’60s would have withheld such news for one year because the White House exerted pressure on its editors?Richard Nixon was impeached for Watergate, an offense that now seems like child’s play compared to the gravity of this most recent revelation about our president and this administration.I implore my fellow noble Americans to stand up and defend our Constitution and democracy. We owe it to our brave, freedom-loving founders who fought in the Revolutionary War so that we could live in a free and open country today. We are morally bound to do so for our future generations.