At 12:01 07/09/96 -0700, Ruben Botello scribed:
>>>blanket mail to everyone in Congress that their mail system has been set to
>>>simply filter (sometimes with an explanation) mail from any host/domain not
>>>identifiable as from the Congressperson's home district. >
>>>/s Murphy A. Sewall <[log in to unmask]>      (860) 486-2489 voice
>>------------------
>>I know this doesn't really relate to this list, but I find this practice
>>*very* disturbing.   It is often the case that an MC from another state is
<snip>
>>Lynn Richardson, PhD (in political science!)
 
>From Dr. Botello:
>        You are absolutely correct.  Many admirable Americans are fighting
>for causes that affect all or a significant number of states and territories
>of the United States, and the foreign affairs of the nation.  A
>congressperson from Wyoming or Maine can be sitting in anyone of several
>relevant committees, and that official should be held to answer to all
>Americans, not just the ones in his home district, if his or her vote is
>going to affect us all.
>        To limit our participation in our democratic form of government via
>the Internet, as Mr. Sewall proposes is not only censorship, but oppressive.
>
 
From _US Term Limits, Inc v Thornton_, 115 S.Ct. 1842 (1995):
"Each Member of Congress is 'an officer of the union, deriving his powers
and qualifications from the constitution, and neither created by, dependent
upon, nor controllable by, the states... Those officers owe their existence
and functions to the united voice of the whole, not of a portion, of the
people."
 
...but then, Congress tends to be kinda weak on this whole Constitution thing.
 
Philo
 
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