Day 1

Dear matthew,

I am proud and excited to be writing to you on this, my first day on the job as president of People For the American Way.

At this pivotal moment in American history, I could not think of a better place to make an impact on the future of the country and the progressive movement.

People For is truly a movement organization. I can't wait to work with you and fight by your side in the crucial battles to come. The country needs us more than ever. At stake this year is nothing short of the future and the fate of the U.S. Constitution and the rights enshrined within -- our rights.

As you get to know me, you'll learn that I have a profound respect, and really a deep love for the Constitution. Separation of powers, checks and balances, accountability . . . these, the most basic American principles, have been undermined over and over again by the Bush administration's policies, its right-wing allies in Congress and, as we will see more and more in the coming years, by its right-wing judicial appointments.

But this can be the year that we save the Constitution -- what happens in November's elections will echo for a generation.

The Supreme Court is already wreaking havoc. And it is just one justice away from a solid ultraconservative majority that will consistently vote to overturn well-established rights -- rights we depend on -- and block Americans from using the federal courts to seek justice. Our work in 2008 could decide if the Far Right gets its five, six, or even seven-justice majority, or if we pull the Court back from its rightward drift, back toward respect for constitutional rights and a Court that Americans can count on to protect them.

We need to make sure Americans know what's at stake when they think about voting for president and U.S. senators. It's our core constitutional values and how they affect our lives.

You have a right to privacy. And you have a right to make decisions about your own life and body -- who you love and how, or whether, you procreate.

You have a right to due process of law -- that means the government should not be able to arbitrarily detain you, seize your property, tap your phone calls without a warrant, and much more.

You have a right to vote and not to be disenfranchised because of your race, socioeconomic status or anything else.

You have religious freedom -- a right to worship any way you want, or not to worship at all, and you certainly have the right not to have the religious views of others forced upon you by the government.

You have a right to free speech.

You have a right to be treated equally to anyone else under the law.

The Constitution gives you these rights as an American, but to make sure those rights are protected, it takes vigilance -- mine and yours -- and it takes action.

I've fought my entire life to defend Americans' rights and I've argued for them before the Supreme Court. Now, I join you and the entire People For family to carry on this fight. And to hold out a vision for the kind of country we want, and give Americans a way to make it a reality.

Thanks for the support, and the opportunity!

Yours,

Kathryn Kolbert, President
People For the American Way