Dear Senator,

I am writing to express my concern over what I perceive to be a vacuum in leadership regarding foreign policy in the Democratic party.

From September 12, 2001 until today, the President has successfully coupled patriotic rhetoric and subjective moral judgments (his "Axis of Evil") that play to the public's fear in order to bolster his argument for taking aggressive action against any nation we label a potential threat. When the Attorney General came to Congress last fall to ask for a weakening of Constitutional protections (which became the USA Patriot Act), he spoke as if questioning the Administration was tantamount to aiding Bin Laden. We have witnessed what the Justice Department has done with their newfound powers. Allowing this Administration, who has been the most secretive in recent history, and has a well-established record of over-stepping its mandates (their claim to power is still considered suspect by many) to have complete freedom to exercise force as they see fit to do so seems to me the height of folly. I understand that it is in our economic interest (and that of our allies) to gain control of Iraq's oil production, but this benefit must be weighed against the lives of our men and women in uniform (my wife is in the Army), the damage to our already battered reputation around the world, and the potential for increased worldwide instability, both economic and political (our markets are already flinching over the rumors of war).

It has been widely reported that the views of the Administration regarding our chances of military success differ from those of our Armed Forces. It does not take long to dismiss the Secretary of Defense's promises of a swift victory as nonsense. We already face a hostile situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Creating another hostile country in the region within reach of our troops for an indefinite length of time means that even if the initial coup goes off without a hitch (the feasibility of which is completely unproven), we stand to undertake another nation-building project that will expose us to the ill-will of an entire race of people. We have to date faced few casualties in Afghanistan only because we have provided them with zero resources outside of their capitol. That whole nation remains under the rule of warlords, and many there already long for the days of the Taliban when there was order. Is it that we believe by upsetting governments and destabilizing the lives of millions of innocents we will sow the seeds of democracy? The hard fact is that both of these nations together will require perhaps hundreds of thousands of troops to keep them from falling into anarchy. It is obvious that the current Administration does not plan on providing them, so who will?

My point is that without significant casualties, we cannot achieve the successful overthrow of two governments in the course of two years. And even with casualties, there is no recognition of the danger posed by our continuing refusal to acknowledge the legitimate grievances of millions against our country. We have not been a force for peace in Israel. We continue to house our military on foreign soil, protecting the very governments who sanction the institutionalized teaching of hatred for us and our way of life (Saudi Arabia). These countries oppress their women and are corrupt to their core, yet because we have favorable trade relations with them, we count them as allies, while their people see and acknowledge our hypocrisy. We cannot embark on the President's new plan of "preemptive strikes" and expect to see world peace as the result. We are in danger of becoming that which we loathe, and the people of the world cringe at that thought.

To be a beacon of light, we must embrace our fellow nations and encourage dialogue and rational thought. We must right the wrongs we have caused and continue championing human rights and women's rights around the world and in all cultures. We should push all of our allies toward free and fair elections, and invest in building an infrastructure in those countries who lack one. We must forgive third-world debt so that all humans are born into freedom not poverty, and embrace environmental safeguards to keep us all alive and healthy. We must invest in the technologies that will bring an end to the consumption of fossil fuels so that our race's and planet's future remains secure. We should put an end to settlements in the occupied territories and cultivate honest Palestinian leaders who can fight for peace among their people. These are the tools of peace-making, not pre-emptive war on a country with no weapons of mass destruction, no means of delivering them, no intent to harm us, but ruled by a leader who enjoys flexing what little independence he has, and by doing so is making himself into a martyr for every poor soul in the Middle East who wishes their own leaders had the guts to stand up to America. We need to embrace these people, not alienate them. We should learn from the horror Israel is going through. Fighting retribution with retribution is an endless game that no one wins. We cannot allow ourselves to perpetuate it.

Senator, I ask that in the coming months you continue to be a voice for the intelligent people of Massachusetts, and refuse to cave-in to Mr. Bush's calls for a resolution granting him permission to use force against Iraq. Do not allow your party to pander to these ridiculous polls being trumpeted as the will of the people. People are supporting the Administration because they are the only visible source of strength in our government. The time has come for the Democrats to stand up and reclaim the legacy President Clinton left. We cannot allow September 11th to be co-opted into a call for war against those who stand in the way of our economic and energy goals (as it was this year), at the expense of our soul.

I apologize for the length of this letter. Thank you for listening. May God grant you wisdom as you face the coming months, and may God see fit to bless our nation so that we may continue to bless others.

Sincerely,

Paul Rodriguez