Historical sociologists have observed that crime in a given society is influenced by the political climate of a country. The well documented decadence and violence of ancient Rome was at its worst during the reigns of Caligula and Nero. The corruption of Louis XIV was accompanied by rioting, violence and theft in previously unseen amounts in the general population of France. The former Soviet Republic was renowned worldwide for its corruption, and the black market, murder and rape flourished in that part of the world. Analysis of news stories from the past year seem to show a disturbingly similar trend here in United States today.

Americans grow increasingly angry with what is perceived as a government of lies, deceit, dishonesty, manipulation and outright aggression against not only the alleged enemies of the administration, but also the citizens of this country. Stories of government authorized kidnapping and torture, as well as evidence of illegal spying and supression of civil and human rights, can be found on an almost daily basis in newspapers across the country. Our commander-in-chief claims exemption from the constitutional checks-and-balances system by right of executive privilege regarding things he claims to have had no part in, giving the impression of deceit and double standards. A man convicted of obstruction of justice is allowed to go free, despite the President's own promise to the American people to see justice served.

And in the news, every day, we see another young woman kidnapped and murdered, with alarmingly greater frequency than I can recall at any other point in my life. Children disappear, college students vanish and are found murdered, random acts of violence are increasing at a frightening rate. Car accidents, plane crashes, hazardous spills on the highways – all caused by recklessness and carelessness. Identity theft is rampant, and white-collar crime is at an all-time high. All of this has increased in the past six years.

We cannot say that the President and his administration have caused these problems. That would be irresponsible. But I am forced to ask, given the lessons of history, whether the political climate in this country has influenced the crime rate. I believe it has. I believe that the majority of the population has reached a level of frustration that has exceeded that of the Vietnam era, and that the tone of this decade has, in fact, been set by a plainly corrupt and self-serving administration.

But the President did not cause this rise in crime. He has done no more than set the stage for such behavior. Neither has Congress caused this problem, though perhaps through inaction they are more to blame than the executive administration.

Still, though the administration cannot be blamed for the actions of the people, it should be clear that the administration's influence on the sociological climate of our nation is negative at best. Therefore, I call on Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney to act in the best interests of the people of the United States of America. I call on them to take responsibility for their part in the condition of our nation, and by doing so lead the way to a better society. And if they cannot or will not do so, then I call upon Congress to hold the administration accountable. And Congress would be wise to heed that call. Because these heinous and inexcusable crimes that we see on a daily basis are a reflection of what we believe is true of our leaders, and the people of this nation can and will fire and replace those members of Congress who refuse to do the job with which they have been entrusted in order to protect our mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, neighbors and friends from an increasingly dangerous world.