Nurse Investigated for 'Sedition' After
Writing Letter to Editor
E&P
February 11, 2006
NEW YORK Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) has asked Veterans Affairs Secretary
James Nicholson for a thorough inquiry of his agency's investigation into
whether a V.A. nurse's letter to the editor criticizing the Bush administration
amounted to "sedition."
Merely opposing government policies and expressing a desire to change course
"does not provide reason to believe that a person is involved in illegal
subversive activity," he said. Bingaman said such investigations raise "a very
real possibility of chilling legitimate political speech."
Laura Berg, a clinical nurse specialist for 15 years, wrote a letter in
September to a weekly Albuquerque newspaper criticizing how the administration
handled Hurricane Katrina and the Iraq Wwr. She urged people to "act
forcefully" by bringing criminal charges against top administration officials,
including the president, to remove them from power because they played games of
"vicious deceit." She added: "This country needs to get out of Iraq now and
return to our original vision and priorities of caring for land and people and
resources rather than killing for oil....Otherwise, many more of us will be
facing living hell in these times."
The agency seized her office computer and launched an investigation. Berg is
not talking to the press, but reportedly fears losing her job.
Bingaman wrote: "In a democracy, expressing disagreement with the
government's actions does not amount to sedition or insurrection. It is, and
must remain, protected speech. Although it may be permissible to implement
restrictions regarding a government employee's political activities during work
hours or on government premises, such employees do not surrender their right to
freedom of speech when they enlist in government service."
He said he wants the matter investigated so V.A. officials will have
guidance about handling similar situations in the future.
Berg signed the letter as a private citizen, and the V.A. had no reason to
suspect she used government resources to write it, according to the American
Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, which last week asked the government to
apologize to Berg for seizing her computer and investigating her.
V.A. human resources chief Mel Hooker had said in a Nov. 9 letter that his
agency was obligated to investigate "any act which potentially represents
sedition," the ACLU said.
Peter Simonson, executive director of the ACLU of New Mexico, told The
Progressive magazine: "We were shocked to see the word 'sedition' used.
Sedition? That's like something out of the history books."
In a press release, Simonson also said: "Is this government so jealous of
its power, so fearful of dissent, that it needs to threaten people who openly
oppose its policies with charges of 'sedition'?"
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