We are beginning to see some public reactions to the effects of the Patriot Act and Patriot Act II laws that went into effect as a consequence of the 9/11 events. Four librarians have challenged the U.S. government's actions under the Act. I applaud their courage for standing up to what is clearly a branch of government that has been given a waiver in the checks-and-balances system that was wisely implemented by the founders of this nation and that served us well for centuries. The FUD strategy used by the current administration will end one day and history will show whether the Patriot Act was a wise choice. I believe it was not.
After reading these thoughts (published elsewhere), a friend of mine sent the following commentary:
Whenever I read more “sky is falling” fears of the Patriot Act, I cannot decide whether to laugh or cry. Today, in California, they have adopted the “Anonymous 911 Drunk Driver” laws. Is there anyone you don’t like? An ex-spouse? Somebody owes you money? Annoying neighbor? Make the 911 Drunk Driver call, and the local police can enter their home without a warrant, take the suspect away in handcuffs to the testing facility. Of course, they also have the “in plain sight” laws, and once inside the house, anything is fair game. Care to have them inside looking around? Where’s this mythical “checks and balances”?
Of course, your name is kept confidential, so the poor schmuck never even knows who made the call, and unlike the Constitutional guarantees, he will never get a chance to face his accuser.
Where's the ACLU?
The DEA can also enter your house without a warrant, seize your personal property, computers, records, all cars, even the house! You need to prove innocence before recovering anything, which can and does take months. These drug laws are considered the single most dangerous invasion of privacy and individual rights on record. There are countless cases on record. Where’s the NYT’s and the ACLU? Where’s the outrage?
Many law agencies are now expanding the Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), to tap your phones on a whim. No warrant.
The 1966 Lautenberg Gun Ban is so expansive and vague that almost any misdemeanor will prevent gun ownership. But that’s not enough for Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) who has launched her most recent effort to use Orwellian Big Government with her Bill HR 1415 -- the McCarthy bill -- would require states to "make electronically available to the Attorney General records relevant to a determination of whether a person is disqualified from possessing or receiving a firearm under [federal law" [Section 102(c)(1) (A)].
Now, God forbid this passes, but if it does, how does the gov’t obtain such records? Simple. The bill assigns millions to the FBI to troll through our income tax and phone records, internet use, military records, medical history, divorce records, police arrests, and yes, even library records, to examine whether retroactively you might have performed “something of a violent nature” that would preclude you from gun ownership. Something decades ago. Okay, you are anti-gun anyway, but what do you suppose the gov’t does with all those records? Throw them away? Yeah, right.
This is just another tactic for the gov’t to acquire citizen databases, triggering the end of personal privacy. Ever signed that box on a doctor or hospital form about sharing information? If so, you gave permission for any agency to obtain any record they want, without a warrant and without you even knowing.
While you are looking out the front door, worried about the gov’t checking library records, a dozen federal, state, and local agencies can already enter your back door, take your history, computers, phones and records, and then confiscate everything in site, and haul you away. All very legal, and without warrants.
Patriot Act? Sheesh..
After I asked permission to use these comments, I received a follow up:
Use it anywhere you like. I am certainly not hiding my opinions. Or my name.
Thanks for the comments. I know we disagree on this subject, but I truly believe the PA is about 1/100 of the privacy invasions we unknowingly encounter every minute of the day.
As a hard core Libertarian myself [except for some of their loony platforms] I am firmly against government intervention and interference, and a very strong supporter of civil rights and the Constitution.
But the PA is a straw dog, an easy target of the media hype. If we think that neutering the PA will somehow restore privacy, well, there are several bridges we can still buy. How about waterfront property in Florida?
Meanwhile, the government continually chips away at our rights and we don't even know it.
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