Today’s focus for the Twelve Days for Justice Protest revolves around Samuel Alito’s consistent advocacy for corporate interests over workers’ rights and the environment. Judge Alito’s views are consistent with the Bush Administration’s which is proving to be a danger to our global climate and the health of the country’s job numbers.
Links to previous diaries, today’s sample form letter to send to the Senate Judiciary Committee and contact information for the Senators below the fold…
Here are the links to the Daily Justice Diaries so far:
- Day One – Balance of Power in Government
- Day Two – Age Discrimination/FMLA
- Day Three – Judicial Ethics
- Day Four – Needs of the Disabled
- Day Five – Roe v. Wade
- Day Six – Separation of Church and State
- Day Seven – Freedom of Religion
- Day Eight – Old Boys Club
- Day Nine – Equality Under the Law
- Day Ten – Gender Discrimination
Continuing Action: After the Diary for Day 12 is available, print each diary and make booklets to hand out from December 23rd to January 9th.
Three groups to contact:
your senators, the Judiciary Committee, and your representatives
Dear Senator:
I am writing today to express my displeasure with the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court of the United States. As I have reviewed Judge Alito’s records of past rulings, it is apparent to me that he consistently puts the needs and interests of corporations over the rights of everyday workers in the United States. He has also shown blatant disrespect for the environment, again siding with business interests.
In the case, Homar v. Gilbert, Judge Alito argued in the minority position that a corporate entity had the right to suspend an employee without a hearing or compensation. This opens the door to strong-arm tactics by corporations that are more concerned with their financial bottom line than the rights of their workers.
Regarding environmental concerns, I was disturbed to read that Judge Alito cast the deciding vote in the 1997 case, Public Interest Research Group v. Magnesium Elektron that basically nullified the Clean Water Act by blocking a lawsuit and fine that was filed for a violation. It should be noted that the Supreme Court later struck down Judge Alito’s decision, finding it to be an instance of judicial activism.
Sandra Day O’Connor, who has served the Supreme Court with great dignity for over two decades, deserves to be replaced with a judge who will follow in her moderate footsteps. Case after case, Judge Alito has proven himself to be a far-right, conservative judicial activist with little regard for the needs of everyday workers in the United States. The thought of Judge Alito sitting on the bench concerns me greatly, especially with two environmental rulings currently on the schedule for the Supreme Court slated for February 2006.
I join my fellow Americans who are concerned for workers’ rights and the environment and urge you to vote “No” on the nomination of Samuel Alito. In addition, please ask President Bush to nominate a moderate judge like Sandra Day O’Conner who will truly represent the rights of all Americans.
Sincerely,
Feel free to modify and spice up the letter as you see fit. The power of the message won’t be felt unless you send it to the Senators, though. Make your voice heard!
Help us restore balance to our country’s justice system. George Bush cannot be trusted with the keys to the Supreme Court, Alito must be stopped!
Tell your Senators, no to Alito:
Save the Court Petition
And while you’re at it: sign Planned Parenthood’s anti-Alito petition, too:
Planned Parenthood Petition
NARAL is shooting for 500,000 signatures, please add yours:
Naral Anti-Alito Petition
And don’t forget: urge Congress to support Plan B:
Plan B Petition
I crossposted at Daily Kos. Your recommends are appreciated š
Well done Manny!
Alito’s opinions have a consistency, don’t they? Concentrating and maintaining power in a few positions – the return to feudalism?
the more terrified I become…
Have you seen Alito’s America yet? Looks like some bloggers designed that website.
Okay, I’ve posted the new one
Hopefully in the rush of all our Christmas preparations, I will be able to finish this out and post the Day 12 graphic and link too.
By the way–and if this is horribly tacky, I’ll chalk it up up to Christmas crazies brought on by trying to manage last minute travel prep with high energy kids and pets underfoot–what I’d really like for Christmas is more sites linking to Howard-Empowered People. I’ll be happy to reciprocate as soon as I can. I’ve just spent so much time on site updates, getting transcripts online, and trying to join in projects such as this one, that I haven’t been able to focus on that linkage issue at all.
Okay, now I have to (gulp) shop.
each day, Renee, we’ll make sure to add the site to the blogroll of participants when we start making the push for people to create the booklets. We have a great resource to help mobilize everyday people to contact their elected officials and make their views known.
Thanks again, and don’t get into too many fights at the stores š
I know. We’re not supposed to play favorites. But this is my pet peeve issue. Alito = Corporate Dominance For the Court. Not that it was so great with O’Connor. But it is just going to get that much worse. Ugh. Too many reasons to dislike the idea of Alito on the Court.
it seems like this cabal of Rethuglies are hell-bent on screwing the middle class and environment to be able to line the pockets of their pals in the business world. It is sickening.
Regarding O’Connor, I know she’s not all that progressive, but when you compare her to Scalia or Alito, it’s quite scary how different of a judge she is from them.
Cotterperson has posted a diary about Barbara Boxer’s petition to Senator Specter to delay Alito’s hearings until we can have hearings about baby george’s illegal activities.
Please sign the petition and help delay the possibility of this worm taking a seat on our Supreme Court.
Boxer is consistently fighting for us, she deserves more roses. Okay, off to sign the petition!
George is radioactive, so tying him around Alito’s neck is a great tactic. They can’t be trusted, in fact I’ve become afraid as I’ve been researching his judicial record.
Thanks, ManEE! Is there an easy way to just cut and paste the links to the other diaries into my diary for tomorrow (without re-doing all the html stuff)?
you the html code for the bulleted list. You can also highlight the text and right-click. Then select “View Selection Source” or “View Source” depending on your browser. It should show you the html in a text file.
Ah…I didn’t know the “view source” trick. I’ll be looking for your email.
Isn’t it noteworthy that each of the diarists has commented on their increased fear of Alito on the court? The more we read the scarier he gets!
I have wonder what planet he’s from, because his views are completely opposite of mine on almost every single issue.
…or am I the one from another planet? hmmm
I agree with Manny on both points – excellent letter and that Bush has become toxic to a growing number of elected officials.
Boxer’s request to delay the Alito hearings until the illegal spying and its ramifications are played out is brilliant.
Can a nominee remain a nominee if the person who nominated him has resigned? š
I have the diary all ready to go…shall I put it up tonight?
code work that I sent you?
Yepper…and I saw you had already added Day 11 to the list-thanks!
lookin’ forward to the finale š
I just wanted to say “thanks” to everyone who has contributed to this project. The diaries are great & you’ve all done an excellent job of explaining the (many!) issues at stake. The way things are going now, there just may be some small chance of derailing this nomination.
swing in our favor when people like you join others in making their voices heard on the Hill. Your participation has been most appreciated, Arcturus š
If you sent one Email, letter, or made one phonecall to tell your Senator or the Judiciary committee what you think…
Well, then you are thanking yourself because you contributed.
All right! Get ready boys. Tomorrow – Cabin Girl’s “Full Monty” contribution.
I’m just curious if it will be something I can send to my senators. Who knows, maybe we’ll shut down the whole Congress.
HERE
my comprehenseive justice brigade diary at dembloggers hasn’t scrolled off the screen yet! woohoo! i have been updating it daily to incorporate the new alito letters, in addition to posting them at the front page.
http://www.dembloggers.com/?op=displaystory;sid=2005/12/20/225036/05
if you find an alito, tidbit, please post it in a comment there. it’s so good to keep all the dirt in one pile, knowwhatimean?
: p
the petitions are already in there.
; )
There’s so much dirt on Alito, you’ll have to start a second pile!
Honestly, I think we could easily come up with another week of material on him, at least.
i couldn’t resist
I wish that the papers covered this guy as well as we have been for this past week and a half. Perhaps that should be the focus of the next action.
Perhaps the progressive bloggers could take out ads in major papers around the country that highlight much of what has been written here.
Or even just write some letters to the media as well. I like your line of thinking. I have so busy that I hadn’t even thought about the fact that we had absoluteoly ZERO news on this to link to that questioned this nomination in the least bit. Where is that SCLM? I have yet to see it, ever.