Bean's vote stands up for Constitution

I was greatly encouraged by Congresswoman Melissa Bean's recent vote supporting fairness and protecting our constitutional values.

The legislation, HR 3773, denied the automatic, retroactive immunity to lawbreaking telecommunications companies demanded by the Bush White House.

Instead, the bill gives companies the ability to defend themselves in court. Bean is to be commended for standing up to the Bush Administration's fear mongering and assertions of executive privilege.

Bean's vote is especially important in light of recent revelations about the abuse of so-called "national security letters" by the FBI -- abuse that is acknowledged by the director of the FBI himself.

It is imperative that we not foreclose our only opportunity of learning the nature and extent of illegal wiretapping by the Bush Administration. It is inappropriate to give amnesty to the telecommunications executives who violated their customers' privacy.

I encourage Bean to continue her brave stance against immunity for telecommunications companies -- now more than ever, we need our elected officials to stand up for the Constitution and the rule of law.

Ellen Karpel

Schaumburg