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Thanks for courageous vote 

The Daily Planet received a copy of this e-mail sent to Rep. Barbara Lee: 

I greatly admire your personal fortitude in voting, as one out of over 400 Representatives, against last week’s resolution invoking the War Powers Resolution of 1973, in response to the abominable and disastrous terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. 

While such resolutions have no force of law as to what the President or Congress may do, any resistance within our federal representation – to a retaliatory response to terrorism that gives indication of perpetrating widespread, indiscriminate extinction of innocent lives or withdrawing basic sustenance to same, in any part of the world, in defiance of justice and in pursuit of vindictiveness – is highly appreciated. The task of stamping out terrorism not directly brandished by sovereign states is one of precise excision based on well-studied information and skillful craft, not one of broad military campaigns. We labeled our national campaign against illicit drugs a “war,” even without a similar resolution. It has not been a success, now after several decades. 

Though nearly all the world wants to wipe out terrorism, hastily formed alliances will soon fall apart under demands of this country to exceed standards of forceful behavior that threaten to evolve to appear nearly as loose as those that would condone the very terrorism under siege. 

Thank you very much for your negative vote on this matter. 

Raymond A. Chamberlin 

Berkeley