Posted by
Eric A. Beck on Saturday, May 16, 2009 1:30:01 PM
May 10, 2009
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
235 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-0508
Dear Madame Speaker:
I am writing to express my deep dissatisfaction over your recent statements regarding your participation in post September 11th Congressional briefings on enhanced interrogation techniques. After listening to your statements, and to credible news reports regarding the release of federal records reflecting your participation in these briefings, I find that the two are irreconcilable. Moreover, I believe you have now gone one step too far in your demagoguery of the Bush Administration, reflecting a pattern of intellectual dishonesty in your public statements that has continued since your election as House Speaker.
As a father of a highly motivated young man who chose to volunteer at the age 17 for the U.S. Army Reserve, I am deeply concerned about the inconsistency I have observed in the values my son has learned from the Army and those being demonstrated by your leadership in Washington. While at basic training at Fort Knox last summer, my son was taught that he is expected to live up to a higher standard that other Americans. This standard is based on seven core values all members of the military must adhere to including “Integrity” that has defined by the following:
INTEGRITY (Do what’s right, legally and morally) – Integrity is a quality you develop by adhering to moral principles. It requires that you do and say nothing that deceives others. As your integrity grows, so does the trust others place in you. The more choices you make based on integrity, the more this highly prized value will affect your relationships with family and friends, and, finally, the fundamental acceptance of yourself.
Madame Speaker, I find it unacceptable that you have sought to play politics in your recent statements regarding enhanced interrogation techniques. You have been dishonest in representing what you knew about the Bush Administration’s efforts to gather intelligence, and in the process have set a poor example for leadership for our nation and our armed forces. As someone who is now third in line to the Presidency, I would expect that you would adhere to the same values as a potential Commander and Chief that my son is expected to live by as a member of the military. Given your most recent statements, it would appear to me that you cannot. Therefore, I would respectfully request that you resign as Speaker of the House of Representatives and turn these responsibilities over to Representative Steny Hoyer of Maryland.
I do not make this request in haste or take this matter lightly. Our nation is currently at war and facing enormous economic problems that can only be solved through effective leadership in Washington. We as a nation cannot afford a lack of efficacy by having political leadership that is distracted by personal ambition or a lack of focus on problem solving. I would hope that you would agree and see that our nation would be best served through your resignation.
Sincerely,
Eric A. Beck
10 Hannah Drive
Dayton, NJ 08810