As per my previous post on the "material support" issue, here is a letter that I encourage you to copy and paste and send to the government. You could print it and mail it if you feel so inclined, or fax it, although email is probably easiest. I wonder if one particular method might get more attention than another, but I have no way of knowing. Many computers can send faxes, so I'd recommend giving it a go, because it seems like a fax might be harder to ignore. Either way, just be sure to fill in the appropriate salutation, and add your own name to the bottom so it looks like it came from a real person. Also, feel free to edit any part of the letter as you want, particularly if you are not a U.S. citizen/resident. This is an important issue that effects many nationalities, so everyone should be speaking up about it.

The letter should be sent to:

• President Bush
  The White House
  1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
  Washington, DC 20500
  
  Email: comments@whitehouse.gov
  Email for the Vice President: vice_president@whitehouse.gov
  
  Fax: 202-456-2461


• Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff
  U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  Washington, D.C. 20528
  
  Link to online contact form (Note, there's no category for "Complaints" or "Screw-ups", I'd go with 'immigration' or 'security threats'.


• Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
  U.S. Department of State
  2201 C Street NW
  Washington, DC 20520
  
  Online contact forms.


• Your Representative
  U.S. House of Representatives
  Washington, DC 20515
  
  Find your representative online.


• Your Senator
  U.S. Senate
  Washington, DC 20510
  Contact U.S. Senate
  
  Find your senator online.
  

The Letter

Dear .............,

I am writing to you in regards to the "material support" prohibition, which bars terrorist organizations or their supporters from admission to the United States. My concern is that an overly-broad application of this clause is negatively impacting refugees and asylum seekers who are not terrorists and who urgently require protection.

I understand that the U.S. government has decided to admit more than 9,000 refugees from Burma, many ethnic minorities, in 2006 alone. Unfortunately, because of recent legislation including the USA Patriot Act and the Real ID Act, provisions that have expanded the definition of what constitutes terrorist activity, along with the "material support" clause, have caused thousands of refugees from Burma to have their cases put on hold, and put them at risk of being denied entry into the US. These refugees are being punished for the very acts which forced them to flee their homes in the first place - supporting the opposition groups in Burma who are fighting for a cause which the U.S. government has openly expressed its support for.

The Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act was also renewed by this same U.S. administration, mandating support for the cause of democracy in Burma. Members of the democratic opposition movements have looked to the United States as one of their strongest foreign allies and supporters. Thousands of refugees, most of whom are ethnic minorities or Christian, have long held hopes of finding safety within our borders. And yet, with the current application of the "material support" prohibition, the U.S. risks becoming complicit in the Burmese Junta's reign of oppression and tyranny on its own people.

I understand the U.S. government must work to protect our nation and citizens against the threat of terror, but we must also strive to protect those who are suffering from tyranny beyond our own borders. I urge you to support a more exclusive definition of terrorism and terrorist activities so that the government may more effectively identify and fight those who are real terrorists, and those who pose a real threat to our liberty.

Finally, refugees of all ethnicities from Burma should be allowed the opportunity to find refuge in the U.S. Please urge the Department of Homeland Security to develop a legal interpretation of "material support" that follows the lines of reason and common sense, and which exempts bona fide refugees, whether from Burma or elsewhere, from the bar to admission.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter, I trust you will do the right thing to support the world's fight against tyranny and oppression.

Sincerely,

{Your name and address here}