October 17, 1996

The Honorable Bill Clinton
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC  20500

Dear Mr. President,

I knocked off work a little earlier than I had planned last night, so I was able
to catch the tail end of the second Presidential debate on the radio on my way
home.  I am glad that I was able to do so.

At 7:27, you made a remark that justified my pulling off to the side of the
freeway and jotting it down.  I later obtained a transcript to make sure that I
got it right.  Here's what you said:
   Let me say again, there is no more important responsibility for the
   president than to say if you believe in the Constitution, the Bill of
   Rights, and the Declaration of Independence, that's all we need to
   know. And you can be part of our America, and you can walk across that
   bridge to the 21st century with us.
Aside from the somewhat curious wording, this appears to be an endorsement of the
foundation documents of this country.

I find this a bit curious.

When your gun-free school zone law was declared unconstitutional by the U.S.
Supreme Court, didn't you give Attorney Janet Reno one week to "work around it"?
Didn't you sign the Telecommunications Bill, containing that dreadful
Communications "Decency" Act censoring the Internet?  You promised equality, but
delivered a law prohibiting the marriage of homosexuals and a military policy to
just look the other way.  Are you not the man who signed the Brady Bill into law?
Are you not in support of warrantless searches in "public housing"?  At 7:32 in
last night's debate, didn't you beat the drum for yet more unconstitutional gun
control measures?  Did you not sign recent "anti-terrorist" legislation for secret
trials; secret testimony; roving wiretaps; paid informants; weakening of Habeus
Corpus; violation of Posse Comitatus; the ability to declare any group as
"terrorist", subjecting them to special laws.  Four years ago, you promised one
of the most honest administrations that this country has ever had, but gave us
one of the most corrupt.  And some day, we need to sit down and chat about
unfunded mandates.

I'm seeing things that just don't make sense.  One minute, you are taking an oath
to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States".  The next,
you are signing into law bills that are manifestly unconstitutional.  Moments later,
you are telling us how important the Bill of Rights is.  Then, you urge that it be
further violated.  By my count, you have shattered nine of the ten amendments in
the Bill of Rights.

Are you not being, well, a hypocrite?  Or is there something that I just don't
understand here?

Please let me know where you really stand on this matter of the Constitution.

                                                    Sincerely,

                                                    Dennis Griesser