Joint Letter to Speaker Boehner and Leader Pelosi

DESCRIPTION
This is a joint letter from multiple community organizations and groups concerned about civil and human rights and national security, addressed to Speaker John Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. The letter strongly objects to the hearings on violent extremism recently announced by the Chair of the Committee on Homeland Security, Congressman Peter King. The letter urges Speaker Boehner and Leader Pelosi to urge Chairman King to address all forms of violence motivated by extremist beliefs in a full, fair, and objective way. The letter argues that singling out a group of Americans for government scrutiny based on their faith is divisive and wrong, and that these hearings will inevitably examine activities protected by the First Amendment. The letter also references the McCarthy hearings of the 1950s as a cautionary example of what can happen when Congress abuses its investigatory power.

ADDITIONAL METADATA
Date: February 1, 2011
Type: Correspondence
Language: English
Creator: South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT)

PROVENANCE
Collection: South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) Materials
Item History: 2024-09-30 (created); 2024-09-30 (modified)

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