We wish to thank you again for your past expression of kind
words regarding Audie Bock s campaign for Congress against
Barbara Lee.
Ms. Bock has recently returned from a very successful trip to
New York City where she met with a number of individuals and
organizations who may prove very helpful in her campaign effort.
Recently the Oakland Tribune, Alameda Times-Star, Tri-Valley
Herald and other newspapers printed an OpEd by Ms. Bock
explaining why she is challenging Barbara Lee.
Now Ms. Bock has penned another OpEd : When Dissent Isn t
Heroism - Calling Barbara Lee a Hero Denigrates the Valor of Our
Real Heroes. We have attached a copy of it for your
enjoyment. Please feel free to share it with others and pass it
around to friends and colleagues on line and in print. The
message articulated in her essay is an important message that
underscores why we must not ignore or accept the presence of Ms.
Lee in Congress. The damage that her words and her actions do
is quite real and must be put to a stop.
Many kind regards to you and your family,
AUDIE BOCK FOR CONGRESS 2002
http://www.AudieBock.org
http://www.DumpBarbaraLee.com
===========================================================
When Dissent Isn t Heroism
by Audie Elizabeth Bock
Calling Barbara Lee a Hero Denigrates the Valor of Our Real
Heroes
Some in this country have lauded Congresswoman Barbara Lee for
her courageous stand when she was the only member of Congress
to vote against the September 14th resolution authorizing
President Bush to use military force against those responsible
for the attacks on America.
I submit that her vote and its accompanying justification were
more a matter of political grandstanding than courage.
Ever since the horrific tragedies of September 11th there has
been heated discussion in this country about the freedom of
speech and the right to dissent. These rights are essential
components of our free society.
We have come to a critical pass in our nation s history,
however, where the concept of dissent has taken on a very
peculiar character. Consider the high profile example of
Congresswoman Barbara Lee.
In casting her No vote and subsequently defending it to the
news media Ms. Lee warns that we must not become the evil
that we deplore. For a Member of Congress who takes an oath to
defend her country and its Constitution from all enemies
foreign and domestic to equate national security with
deplorable evil is not heroic it is offensive and inexcusable.
Unfortunately, the Blame America crowd who support Lee, are
locked into an antiquated and myopic view of our globe.
Festering in the mindset of the Vietnam War, they are full of
anger and hatred for the only country that tolerates their
dissent. Actor Danny Glover described Ms. Lee as inspiring and
author Alice Walker proclaimed her a hero, while she compared
the observing of our government with the purging of her
intestines. MSNBC contributor Jill Nelson one-upped them both by
calling Lee profoundly courageous.
However, a review of Lee s record in Congress shows that her
desire to aid repressive foreign regimes while condemning the
government in which she serves is nothing new for Lee, but the
same old, same old from the Blame America crowd. The only
difference is that this time she did it after America had been
shot in the back by the forces of terrorism with the first
attack on our own soil since Pearl Harbor - with more than twice
the loss of life, mostly civilian.
Lee has used her right to dissent to mislead and misinform the
people of America, the media and her congressional district
about what the September 14th resolution stated and what the
intentions of our government are.
She characterized the resolution as a blank check, influencing
MSNBC s Nelson, who incorrectly stated that Lee had refused to
give the president carte blanche to prosecute a war on
terrorism. Not true. In reality, the September 14th resolution
addressed in absolutely specific language pursuing only those
responsible for the September 11th attacks or those nations that
support or harbor them. The uninformed in the news media, and
Ms. Lee should have read it before spouting off.
Another Lee bit of misinformation is that the resolution was
unconstitutional and that it abdicated the Congressional
authority that is reinforced in the War Powers Resolution.
Again, the resolution could not have been more explicit it
references the War Powers Resolution twice, including the
declaration that: Nothing in this resolution supersedes any
requirement of the War Powers Resolution.
Why Ms. Lee would lie to her constituents and to the media about
the resolution she voted on probably is revealed in the
exhortation she read on the floor of the House prior to casting
her No vote. Citing the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin resolution, Ms.
Lee whined, this House abandoned its own constitutional
responsibilities and launched our country into years of
undeclared war in Vietnam. She went on to fear that we make
the same mistake today. Ms. Lee is the only member of Congress
who cannot seem to grasp the difference between the foreign
interventions that were sanctioned in the Vietnam War and our
nation defending itself when it is brutally attacked on US soil.
The largest single day loss of life in US history from any cause
does not seem to have registered with Ms. Lee.
The right of free speech entitles Barbara Lee to condemn the
United States government, its foreign policy and what she deems
to be its proclivities for evil. But if we call her a hero for
failing to uphold her constitutional duty under the rubric of
her right to free speech, we are betraying the real heroes.
The real heroes are this nation s founding fathers who risked
their own lives and well-being to provide us the right to free
speech, and brave men and women like those on United flight #93,
who rose up to stop an attack that may well have been aimed at
one of Washington D.C. s Congressional office buildings. And,
they are the front-line responders to terrorism the firefighters
and police officers who rushed to the World Trade Center Towers
to save thousands of people. And, they are the U.S. military
personnel who fight to break the terrorist stronghold in
Afghanistan today. These heroes have given their lives or put
themselves in harms way so that Barbara Lee can continue to have
the right to spew her toxic and misguided Blame America
rhetoric. How dare she call them the evil that we deplore ?
It is therefore incumbent upon those of us who enjoy the right
to free speech to call Ms. Lee s behavior exactly what it is
shameful, repugnant, na ve, dangerous so that all Americans,
including the people of her district, can properly exercise
their right to make sure she never has the platform of the
United States Congress to disseminate her unfortunate views
again. There is a difference between speaking your mind and
violating your oath of office. Dissent is one thing; lies are
another.
Experiencing the consequences of the irresponsible exercise of
free speech of twisting and suppressing truth is something
Ms. Lee has thus far escaped. Shame and censure are both
examples of free speech. And it is time Ms. Lee heard a little
bit of both. It s time to Dump Barbara Lee.
Audie Bock served as a Member of the California State Assembly
from 1999-2000 and is now challenging Ms. Lee for the 9th
Congressional District. Her effort to unseat Barbara Lee can be
found on the Internet at www.DumpBarbaraLee.com .
-----Original Message-----
From: John
Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2001 9:42 AM
To: info@audiebock.org
Subject: Paci-Lady Lee
Dear Assemblywoman Bock,
I posted this below message to a board I frequent
http://www.afghan-government.com/ I thought I'd send it to
you. Reposting this (or similar) to boards throughout the net
may go a long way to gain (grass roots) national exposure and
raise money. I'm in LA, so I probably can't help much. But if
you think of a way I can contribute, I'd be happy to help. Good
Luck.
E pluribus unum
John
PS - You looked great on Hannity & Combs. Next time, and there
will be a next time, insist on (primary) Hannity interview
coverage. Do his radio show.
Posting:
From: John
To: ALL
Subject: Rep. Barbara Lee of Berkeley California
Date: Sat Oct 27 10:54:14 2001
Message:
On September 14, every member of Congress - Democrat,
Republican, Independent - voted to support our nation's effort
to seek justice for the terrorist attacks on America.
Every member, EXCEPT Barbara Lee. .
Rep. Barbara Lee stated: "I am convinced that military action
will not prevent further acts of international terrorism against
the United States," Lee explained. And: "Violence begets
violence, and we don't want that to happen. That kills people. "
Lee was the one dissenter in the 420-to-1 vote on the war-powers
resolution.
The Bay Area has no shortage of citizens who argue that America
should rethink its foreign policies in the wake of these
killings. She won 85 percent of the vote in the last general
election.
*****
Here's my take: The day of the vote of this War Powers
Resolution, I thought to myself:
"Thank God, at least this lady is now exposed for all
Californian's and the nation to see. She will never go farther
in government then the current seat she holds representing the
pacifists of Berkeley California."
Then I learned the reason pacifists/leftists win in Berkeley is
because - it is the students (who are not long term residents of
Berkeley, but part-time - until graduation) that do the voting
there. And Not the full time residents.
Now I see, not only is she (now) limited to only representing
Berkeley, with no chance of expanding her pacifist leadership
over others. But now, there's actually potential to oust her
from congress entirely. Audie Bock is running against her with
a campaign slogan of: "It's O'K to Love America". The pressures
of the nation on Berkeley to oust this woman are just beginning.
Americans and American companies are pulling business from
Berkeley. Berkeley is really starting to feel the effects of
their Anti-American stance. Americans (from all the nation)
will flood Bock's campaign coffers to defeat Lee.
Ousting this Paci-Lady (new term I just coined) is possible.
HERE'S A WEBSITE DEDICATED TO OUSTING LEE FROM CONGRESS
http://www.dumpbarbaralee.com/
Copy this info and email it to all those in your address book.
Let's get this Paci-Lady ousted
John
(c) MMI JGM
E pluribus unum