Dear editors;
this was an email circulated to ACLU membership. Thanks, Kathryn
| Dear ACLU Supporter, It's time to get to work. In the weeks and months ahead, we have a huge opportunity to restore America's commitment to justice and the rule of law and to once again be a nation we can be proud of.
Barack Obama has some tough issues to deal with -- two raging wars and a failing economy where good folks are losing their homes, worrying about their jobs, and avoiding going to the doctor because they can't afford the bills that will come in the mail. Solutions to these problems won't be easy. The Obama administration will have to contend with high-powered lobbyists from pharmaceuticals, oil companies and military contractors opposing him at every turn. The step the ACLU is urging the President-elect to take is easy by comparison. He doesn't have to contend with lobbyists in client-subsidized Ferragamos. Taking action won't require partisan horse trading, Congressional votes, faux hearings and bipartisan committees that deliberate but never seem to deliver. Closing down Guantánamo Bay and shutting down the military commissions can be done as soon as he lifts his left hand, picks up the new presidential pen, and signs an executive order. He promised he'd take these steps on the campaign trail and, call me naïve if you like, I believe it was more than an empty promise. I believe Barack Obama knows what he needs to do to get us back on track, to give us back our America -- an America we never stopped believing in but have missed dearly for the past eight years. Get involved: Watch our first "close Gitmo" video, check out our New York Times ad and sign up for our Town Hall Meeting. For eight years, you and the ACLU have led the battle against the most un-American policies in recent history. The Bush administration created a prison camp at Guantánamo -- a place where they claimed the law didn't apply. They detained hundreds of men without charge or trial, prosecuted others in unconstitutional military commissions and authorized torture. Now, you can help the ACLU seize a dramatic opportunity for progress. Barack Obama has told people all across America that we all need to get involved to bring about real change. That is why the ACLU is going to work over the next two months to create a nationwide chorus to convince Barack Obama to act on this important issue. Working together, we're going to seize this moment. Let's get to work. For freedom,  Anthony D. Romero Executive Director, ACLU P.S. Don't forget to sign up to join us on Thursday night for our Town Hall Meeting. There's no better way to learn how you can be involved in our efforts to close Guantánamo than joining us for this important conversation.
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