Citizens for a Secure America is a group of women and men who are especially concerned about this election. Women can take back the direction and stiffen the spine of America's anti-terrorism policy, and we want to help them do that.

Women make up the majority of voters. As mothers, daughters, sisters, wives -- women particularly want to protect their families from terrorism. 2004 election results showed that women -- far more than men -- worried about homeland security, and that security was the key issue for swing women voters who voted Republican. And yet America is neither as safe as it should -- or could -- be. The 9/11 Commission has given failing grades to the Administration, and in a recent poll of bipartisan terrorism experts, 83% conclude that America is less safe than it was before 9/11.

Grassroots supporters of the DNC have formed Citizens for a Secure America, and created this message that you can copy and paste into an email and send to all the women you know before Election Day:

Citizens for a Secure America is a group of women and men who are especially concerned about this election. Women can take back the direction and stiffen the spine of America's anti-terrorism policy, and we want to help them do that.

Women make up the majority of voters. As mothers, daughters, sisters, wives -- women particularly want to protect their families from terrorism. 2004 election results showed that women -- far more than men -- worried about homeland security, and that security was the key issue for swing women voters who voted Republican. And yet America is neither as safe as it should -- or could -- be. The 9/11 Commission has given failing grades to the Administration, and in a recent poll of bipartisan terrorism experts, 83% conclude that America is less safe than it was before 9/11.

If women vote together for a Democratic Congress on November 7th we can make America safer. Please send this message right away to 25 women you know.

For five years, the Republicans, controlling every branch of federal government, have failed to take any of the following steps essential to protecting Americans:

1. Set effective standards for aviation security, port security, transportation security, cyber-security, infrastructure security, border security and communications security

2. Mandate enforceable security standards for chemical, nuclear, oil and liquefied natural gas plants around the country, resisting industry opposition to such standards

3. Work with other countries to establish effective inspection of all cargo containers entering our country and moving from ports to populous areas

4. Establish security systems for mass transit

5. Supply health facilities in the 150 largest metropolitan areas with adequate vaccines, medications and trained personnel to meet a bio-terror attack

6. Map out, for major metropolitan areas, evacuation routes to avoid a repeat of the disastrous incompetence that destroyed New Orleans

7. Stockpile treatment for radiation sickness, anthrax and other likely forms of biological or chemical attack

8. Fund specialized intelligence units (like New York City's) in all 150 major metropolitan areas

9. Reduce our nation's dependence on foreign oil

10. Build contacts with moderate Muslims

11. Move our national focus back to combating al Qaeda instead of the civil war in Iraq

12. Encourage alternative and forward-looking ideas on combating terrorism

America is not as safe as it should -- and could -- be. Republican leadership has let us down. It is time to turn them out!

Signed,

Kenneth Bacon President, Refugees International; former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs

Rand Beers President, National Security Network

Wendy Benchley Councilwoman, Princeton Borough, NJ

Eileen Moran Brown Chancellor/Founder, Cambridge College

Robert Del Tufo US Attorney, Carter administration; former NJ Attorney General

Robin Duke Ambassador to Norway, Clinton administration

Pamela Eakes Founder, Mothers Against Violence in America

Kristina Ford Former Executive Director, New Orleans City Planning Commission

Cynthia Friedman Co-chairman, Women's Leadership Forum

Peter Georgescu CEO Emeritus, Young & Rubicam

Barbara Gimbel Political activist

Kate Hughes Co-ordinator, Citizens for a Secure America

Nicholas Katzenbach Attorney General, Johnson administration

Stephanie Kugelman Vice chairman and Chief Strategic Officer, Young & Rubicam

Richard Leone Former Chairman, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Anne Martindell Ambassador to New Zealand and Western Samoa, Carter administration

Sally Minard Chair, New York State Women's Leadership Forum

Neil L. Rudenstine President Emeritus, Harvard University

William Rugh Former ambassador to the U.A.E. and Yemen

Betty Warner Sheinbaum Artist

Stanley Sheinbaum Economist, political activist

Elisabeth Sifton Senior Vice President, Farrar, Straus & Giroux

Jean Kennedy Smith Ambassador to Ireland, Clinton administration

Fritz Stern University Professor Emeritus, Columbia University

Theodore Sorensen Policy Advisor to President John F. Kennedy

William vanden Heuvel Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Carter administration

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