September 10, 2002 as George W. Bush was firing up the United States of America to invade Iraq I wrote the following letter to the the editor and it was published in the News Enterprise.
Now I believe it’s time to hold the whole bunch, Democrats and Republicans, accountable!!!!!!
I was right then and I believe I’m right now.

My September 10, 2002 Letter To The Editor
Don’t trample the Constitution
The Constitution of the United States of America: Article 1 Section 8. The Congress shall have power to declare war, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water; To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years; To make rules for the Government and regulation of the land and naval forces.

Congress has the power to declare war. If a president of the United States invades another country, without war being declared by Congress, I feel the president would be in violation of his or her oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America and, in the opinion of this writer, should subject to impeachment. If Congress allows the president to invade another country, without declaring war, and continues to finance the effort, in the opinion of this writer, the members of Congress would be in violation of their oaths to uphold the constitution and should be dealt with accordingly.

Our country is debating whether to invade Iraq or not to invade Iraq. I really don’t have enough information to have an opinion one way or another, but I do know what the Constitution requires. If we invade another country, it requires Congress to declare war. To do anything less would be a violation of our constitution and a violation of the law. It’s really very simple: if another country invaded us, we would consider it an act of war. Therefore, if we invade another country we should have the guts to call it what it is, an act of war, and to call it anything less would be shameful and a lie. Is it possible Congress will let the president do whatever he wants concerning Iraq, including invasion, without declaring war, and violate their oaths to uphold the one thing that keeps us bound together as a nation, our Constitution? I am here to predict they will and I further predict they will get away with it and they may even give themselves a raise for doing such a good job! Ho-hum, so what’s new? After all, it is just the Constitution.
James L. Pence
Glendale

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