Civil Rights and Justice

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

I cannot read those words without being overcome by deep feelings of pride and patriotism.

Whenever I hear those words, I am amazed at our Founders vision. They saw a nation founded on beliefs and ideals rather than privilege. While the nations of Europe were created by nobles and kings to foster the acquisition of wealth in the hands of the few, we Americans come together on a common belief that a nation should be guided by principles of Liberty, Equality and Justice.

We face trying times in our nation. We have been attacked by terrorists who seek to shake the foundations of our beliefs. While we need to be vigilant in protecting our shores, it is imperative we do not allow ourselves to fall victim to our fear and destroy the very ideals upon which this great nation was founded. These ideals cannot be destroyed by any outside enemy. Indeed, every time we have been called upon to defend our beliefs, be it in the Civil War or the Second World War, Mainers have always stepped forward in disproportionate numbers and contributed more than our share. We have never lost and we will never lose.

Today, we are being called upon to defend our nation from a much more insidious attack. The very foundations of our beliefs, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, are under attack: from the Wall Street elite, from religious cults, from the fears of a nation, and yes, also from the terrorists. Those people seek to change our government away from one based on ideals and beliefs. Together they each seek to create a government by only the "Right" people, for only the "Right" people, of only the "Right" people, but paid for by all of the rest of us.

One of the gravest threats to our government and our way of life is the appointment of Federal Judges who refuse to recognize the vitality of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They argue that they must only interpret what is written and no more. This is the type of abstract, "Ivory Tower" thinking that gets this country into trouble over and over again. Some of these judges refuse to accept that our nation was founded on concepts whose meanings must change with the times. Instead, some of these judges would say that since neither our Constitution, nor our Bill of Rights grants a Right of Privacy that no such right exists. They would say that nowhere in the Constitution is it written that a person must be advised of his/her rights when arrested and so police officers are not required to advise an individual of their Miranda Rights.

I believe our federal judiciary should uphold the fundamental elements of the Constitution as a living, breathing document and apply common sense regarding the Court's application or review of federal statutes enacted by Congress. If elected, I will always maintain the highest standards in the performance of my Constitutional responsibility to investigate the fitness of judges presented to the Senate for confirmation. Based upon a careful review and thoughtful consideration of the record of those judicial nominees, I will approve the nominee when I believe they will ensure the protection of the civil rights enumerated in the Constitution, and will oppose radical nominees when their record requires that I do so.

In 1630, the Reverend John Winthrop authored a sermon in which he foresaw the future greatness of America. He counseled us that we were "a City upon a Hill, the eyes of all people upon us." The eyes of the World are upon us. Will we remain a nation based on the ideals of Liberty, Justice and Equality?

We can achieve much simply by standing firm in our beliefs and doing what is right. We must not allow our fears to drive us to accept policies providing for the torture of prisoners or undisclosed prisons in foreign lands. We cannot agree to the deprivation of the civil rights which our country men and women have fought and died for. Not in Europe where the administration hides even the existence of the captives, not at Guantanamo Bay where American troops hold prisoners, not in the Middle East where abuses have occurred, NOT IN AMERICA. We must do what is right, though it may not be easy, so that our actions demonstrate that a nation founded on the highest ideals remains the greatest hope for the future.