No Privacy. Violation of Citizen Rights

I consider myself and my family to be just ordinary citizens. We hold different religious and political views but all love our country very much and stand up for it and our fellow citizens even when we disapprove of some of our governments' actions. I am tolerant of other cultures and religions, including Islam. I am against terrorism of any kind for any reason and against all forms of inhumanity.

However, by Homeland Security's criteria, my (ex)husband and I could be viewed as suspected terrorist sympathizers or even 5th columnists, and by Bush's criteria (if you aren't with me, you're with the terrorists) traitors to America.

My husband worked for many years in Muslim countries or countries that are predominately Muslim, as in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, and Indonesia. I accompanied him to some of his posts. I toured and also made dear friends among some of the people, socialized with them, and some visited me here in the US after I returned home. I corresponded with a number of them for many years, communicated by telephone, and even transferred funds to one of them ( to repay a loan made to me so I could purchase a hand woven rug without having to wait for funds from America). My eldest daughter (briefly) married one of those friends; I say briefly because that hard headed, ultra independent, firey American female did not adjust to the culture of Muslim women, exactly as I had warned them. Hah!!

I have been very outspoken in my anti-Bush opinions and have defended the decent Arab people and their Islamic religion. I have been equally outspoken in my anti-war opinions and in my deep sympathy towards the victims of the wars and the victims of Bush's torture and illegal detention policies.

My friend, "Professor Bob", shares many of these same suspicious activities and experiences. Now both of us are forced to cease communications with our friends because of the policies of Homeland Security and cannot risk involving our innocent families in investigations or even detention. Many of these Muslim nations are as suspicious and distrustful as our Homeland Security people and view communication with Americans as proof of possible sympathies to America or treason to their own country. Therefore, for their protection, too, must we cease communications. It's a damned rotten shame.

Because of our friendliness to and friendship with many of the native peoples they developed an entirely different outlook towards Americans than that which they had been led to believe all their lives. People of good will can be ambassadors for their country, contrary to those who exhibit the Ugly American syndrome foster ill will. Now, thanks to our government's actions and policies, there is much ill will among many nations, and not just Muslim nations.

Suspicion, distrust, disunity and ill will - the legacy of Homeland Security and Bush policies. We American enter more and more into a Nazi/Communistic type government and way of life. More and more of our freedoms are being stolen from us.