Dear (Senator / Congressmen / Judge),
Colonel George Balch composed the original version of the Pledge of Allegiance in
1887, however it was not until 1942 that Congress formally adopted it. During those 50
years, many revisions were made. In fact, the original version did not even say “I pledge
allegiance to the flag of the United States of America”, and instead stated “I pledge allegiance
to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands.” Even the controversial “under God” portion
was not included until Flag Day in 1954. With such drastic changes to our pledge, one begs
the question: what drew so much popularity to this simple expression of allegiance causing it
to be recited millions of times a day across the nation? “With liberty and justice for all”; a
principle our forefathers fought and sacrificed for as a promise to future generations. But
what if we are not guaranteeing this promise to all of our citizens?
Wrongful conviction is a cancer plaguing the United States Criminal Justice System.
According to a study done from the Innocence Project on the first 70 cases overturned based
upon post-conviction evidence, 30 involved prosecutorial misconduct, 30 involved police
misconduct, 15 involved false witness testimony, 34% involved suppression of exculpatory
evidence by the police, with 11% involving fabrication of evidence, and 37% involved
suppression of exculpatory evidence by the prosecution, with 25% involving false testimony.
With so many of our own citizens who are wrongfully accused, it is no wonder that when
David Vasquez was exonerated through DNA testing justice reached a new milestone. This
historical event not only gave hope to those who were wronged by the justice system, but
also provided a benchmark for future criminal investigations. Since 1989, DNA testing has
become the Gold Standard of the criminal justice system. DNA testing does not have racist
tendencies, homophobic thoughts, or biases in general, but instead only cares about whether
DNA is present or not, and who owns the DNA.
Therefore, if a crime is committed and there is no clear DNA evidence linking the
person in question to the crime, is it just to convict them? The question is much easier to
answer if you are the accused. The statistics on wrongful conviction show an alarmingly large
amount of foul play. Is a system that claims “innocent until proven guilty” really living up to
its mantra if people are still found guilty of a crime in the absence of definitive DNA
evidence? Is there really “liberty and justice for all”?
In criminal law, Blackstone’s formulation is the principle that “it is better that ten
guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer.” While this may seem extreme at first,
imagine that you or a loved one is that innocent person; perhaps sentenced to 6 months in jail,
or perhaps on death row. No matter the circumstances, it will change your life. As someone
who has had the course of their life change due to a wrongful conviction, I ask you to revisit
the expression “with liberty and justice for all” and ask yourself if everything is being done to
ensure fairness in the justice system.
We need to change the sentiment of society. End the crucifixion of males. No DNA,
no prosecution! When women of alleged sexual assault wrongfully accuse, they ruin it for
others who are truly victims. They cost millions in tax dollars. What happens to those who
wrongfully accuse?
As your constituent, I implore you to introduce legislation to end the carnage.
Yours truly,
(Please Print this letter and sign your name)
Below are a list of New York & Pennsylvania Representatives whom you may address your letter to:
The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
The Honorable Charles E. (Chuck) Schumer
United States Senate
15 Henry Street, Room 100 A-F
Binghamton, NY 13901
The Honorable Kirsten Gillibrand
United States Senate
Leo W. O'Brien Federal Building, Room 821
1 Clinton Square
Albany, NY 12207
The Honorable Chris Gibson
United States Senate
92 Sullivan Avenue, PO Box 578
Ferndale, NY 12754
The Honorable Sean Maloney
United States Senate
123 Grand Street 2nd Floor
Newburgh, NY 12550
The Honorable Tom Reed
United States Senate
401 E. State St. Suite 410
Ithaca, NY 14850
State Senator Lisa Baker
2512 Route 6
Hawley, PA 18428
State Senator Rosemary Brown
143 Seven Bridge Road
East Stroudsburg, PA 18301
State Representative Sandra Major
32 Commercial St. Suite 300
Honesdale, PA 18431
State Representative Mike Peifer
2523 Route 6, Suite 2
Hawley, PA 18428
Governor Tom Wolf
2 N Main Street
Pittston, PA 18640
John J. Bonacic
201 Dolson Ave # F
Middletown, NY 10940