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Letters to the Editor: April 26

Posted on April 26, 2007April 26, 2007 by Staff

Cradle of impeachment

In the cold winter of discontent of 2005-2006, when there was no hope of the Democrats winning majorities in either House, but when Bush’s clearly illegal and unconstitutional wiretaps became public, a group of Constitutionalists formed what became the Grass Roots Impeachment Movement (GRIM). Wes Hare and John Heuer booked Carrboro’s Town Hall for our first public forum on impeachment. Dan Pollitt gave a history of impeachment and I made the case for impeachment. Lucy Lewis moderated. Ruby’s website (orangepolitics.org) and word-of-mouth was our publicity and we expected maybe 25-30 people. But when Ashley, Sunny and I got to Town Hall, we could not find a place to park! It was packed. Over 150 Carrboro citizens were there. Several aldermen voiced support for impeachment.

I was never prouder of our community. We planted the impeachment seed in Carrboro. Throughout 2006, the seeds of a grassroots impeachment movement were planted across the nation. Lessons in our Bill of Rights were taught in courthouses, town halls and churches across the Triangle and the nation.

We learned that impeachment is a process of truth and reconciliation. It was designed by the founders of the United States to enable ordinary citizens to exorcise corrupt, criminal leadership in mid-term, providing the accused with due-process protections, so the surgery is clean, transparent, fair and nonviolent. Recently the impeachment movement has taken great leaps forward. The Vermont Senate voted to refer the matter to their federal representatives — a method of bringing impeachment resolutions to the U.S. House floor designed by Thomas Jefferson. Rep. Dennis Kucinich has broken Speaker Pelosi’s tactical taboo against impeachment while she worked out who would be in her governing coalition by introducing a bill to “Impeach Cheney First.” Alberto Gonzalez’s statements and dis-remembered statements regarding the White House’s unconstitutional minority voter intimidation (see “Chasing Rabbits”) has brought the Rove-Bush constitution’s violations
front and center again.

GRIM believes the best way to place impeachment on the front of Congress’s table is for the citizens of Carrboro, North Carolina, and the nation, to demand Rep. Conyers update the Articles of Impeachment he already has written and get on with the hearings. To remind us of our citizen’s duty, we suggest a simple local step. Several years ago Mayor Eleanor Kinnaird dubbed Carrboro “The Paris of the Piedmont.” I believe she would not mind if Carrboro, at least temporarily, were remembered with another name: “The Cradle of Impeachment.” GRIM suggests the Board of Alderman and your wonderful new paper adopt this as Carrboro’s official nickname — at least until November 2008.

Al McSurely
Civil Rights Lawyer
Carrboro

1 thought on “Letters to the Editor: April 26”

  1. Pingback: The Mill - Warp & Woof in Carrboro » Cindy Sheehan has lunch in Carrboro

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