At a time of crisis, it is more essential than ever to evaluate our identity as a nation. There have been many calls within our government to make vast and sweeping changes. In this environment, it is critical to understand the principles that comprise the soul of our country. We should not be tempted to make changes that appease our immediate concerns but compromise our long-term interests and our very nature as a nation.
When thinking about our identity, we must ask what it is that makes our country so uniquely great amongst the nations of the world. If it is our ability to pummel our foes into the Stone Age, then we are not unique at all. Throughout history, there have been dozens of empires at least as militarily dominant as ours.
Rather, at the core of what it means to be American is a tremendous concern for the rights of the individual. After all, of what good will our military victories abroad be if our civil liberties at home have been sacrificed?
The reason I am running for Congress is that I am concerned that the "Republocrats" that are currently running the country have lost their will to fight for America. The America I am referring to is the one that protects the rights and liberties of individuals at home while respecting the rights of others abroad. I think the period we are experiencing, in which virtually the entire government is in lock step agreement, is a very dangerous one. Toleration for dissent, a critical element of our democracy, is in jeopardy as the only Congresswoman to vote against a broad expansion of the Executive powers, Barbara Lee of Oakland, was met with a dozen death threats.
My platform is a very simple one - protect civil liberties at home and end U.S. interventionism abroad. Yet this is the exact opposite message that is currently being advocated by most in our government. We are told that we must sacrifice our civil liberties and enjoin a global "war on terrorism." But, I fail to see how we are ensuring our security from terrorism by dropping cluster bombs on another nation. It seems we are just giving people more incentive to attack us.
Regardless of what politicians may claim, there is no way, nor has there ever been a way, to ensure complete security in this country. However, it does seem clear that our security has been greatly compromised. We dug ourselves into this hole by our incessant military intervention abroad (both Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden were heavily funded and supported by the CIA). The first step in getting ourselves out of this hole is to stop digging. So, why are we declaring war on an indefinite number of countries for an indefinite period of time? Our interests are better served by treating this as a targeted criminal investigation, ensuring our security by apprehending those responsible, rather than endangering our security by killing thousands of innocent civilians.
Throughout my campaign, I will emphasize the need to maintain America's integrity. My message will be articulated clearly and consistently. I will fight to disengage our government from attacking countries that have not attacked us, and I will fight to protect our civil liberties from ever-expanding government intrusion at home. Whether I win or not, this message will be heard.
Maad Abu-Ghazalah has been a small business owner for the past 5 years. He founded MAG Systems in 1996 to focus on the development and sale of software designed for patent attorneys.
Mr. Abu-Ghazalah graduated from the University of Notre Dame (Indiana) in 1983 with a Bachelors degree in mathematics and received a Masters Degree in computer science from the University of Virginia in 1985. Mr. Abu-Ghazalah also received a Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University Law School in 1993.
Email: MGhaz@AOL.com