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Libraries react to Patriot Act abuses »

Posted by: populist 2 years, 8 months ago

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The U.S. Department of Justice released an audit last month that revealed poorly trained FBI agents have abused a provision of the anti-terrorism law, the USA Patriot Act, which permits agents to look secretly at personal and public documents without a court warrant.

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populist

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Comments: 8

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Tcaros
April 18, 2007, 1 p.m.
George W. Bush signed the law stating, "With my signature, this law will give intelligence and law enforcement officials important new tools to fight a present danger." People supported the efforts of the Executive Office to protect them from a hostile enemy; perhaps forgetting in the moment personal freedoms and where this might lead.
It's much worse than library records. The warrantless NSA eavesdropping is ripe for abuse by a secretive part of the government that does not believe in Constitutional protections on privacy, that laws apply to them in executing their duties, nor that they can be held to account for abuses.
With Attorney General John Ashcroft insisting on the crucial need for speed, the House passed the 342 page Patriot Act by a vote of 356 to 66, although few had chance to read it.
Why was there a need for speed in passing the Patriot Act after considering that it was recently revealed that illegal NSA eavesdropping on innocent Americans had preceded 9/11?
Avg rating: (+6/-1 5)
Tcaros
April 18, 2007, 12:59 p.m.
In the words of the 9/11 Commission Report "credible threats were known, but there was a failure to act." Smoking gun?
Avg rating: (+8/-1 7)
crespi
April 18, 2007, 8:28 p.m.
"Cancelling" The Patriot Act is long "overdue."
(Sorry about the library puns. I just get so mad...)
Avg rating: (+3/-0 3)
gfarral
April 19, 2007, 1:47 a.m.
The only Present danger is this administration!
Avg rating: (+3/-0 3)
PsychoHosebeast
April 19, 2007, 7:49 a.m.
Wow, a police agency abusing it's power and breaking the law? Unheard of, I know...
Avg rating: (+5/-0 5)
Natureboy
April 19, 2007, 8:56 a.m.
On the positive side, they probably caught tons of sinister Al Quaeda who don't actually know HOW to be terrorists and have to check out books on the subject - Terrorism for Dummies being the perennial favorite.
Avg rating: (+0/-0 0)
keinkampf
April 19, 2007, 10:19 a.m.
Do you all question the patriotism of the Patriot Act?
/sarcasm off