A coalition in Congress is now working to extend the worst abuses of the Patriot Act for not just one year, but two and a half years, well into the next presidential term. If the people behind the legislation to ignore the intended sunset of the Patriot Act, it means that, once again, we could have a Republican President as bad as, or even worse than, George W. Bush – with the powers of the Patriot Act at his or her disposal.
Imagine Sarah Palin with the powers of the Patriot Act – massive government surveillance, including gigantic electronic dragnets and sneak and peek search power to enter our homes and places of work with practically no judicial restraint. Do you think she wouldn’t use the power – and abuse it?
George W. Bush abused the powers of the Patriot Act in a massive Big Brother system set up to snoop in on the private lives of peaceful, law-abiding American citizens. That fact is shown quite clearly by a new report by the Electronic Frontier foundation.
EFF looked through 2,500 pages of documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit – the federal government tried to keep these documents secret and assured Americans that nothing funny was going on. After EFF had a look at these documents, here’s what they concluded:
Consider that in the context of what’s NOT considered a Patriot Act abuse. Not counted among these 40,000 illegal abuses of the Patriot Act were government seizures of private communications and information from millions of America. Not counted were government break-ins to Americans’ homes without a search warrant. Not counted were Big Brother wiretaps on Americans not even suspected of any crime. No, the 40,000 illegal abuses of the Patriot Act were in addition to that.
These 40,000 abuses are cases in which the federal government didn’t even try to go along with the minimal requirements of the Patriot Act. What’s more, the EFF found that America’s telecommunications corporations helped the FBI violate the law in about one third of the cases revealed so far.
Put this together with the revelation two years ago that only 0.4 percent of Patriot Act spying efforts using sneak and peek searches had anything at all to do even with allegations of terrorist plots – and that’s among the legal sneak and peek operations that the FBI reported on instead of covering up!
Recently, the Republicans have begun to talk about the Constitution – but only in terms of health care reform. When it comes to Fourth Amendment protection of Americans’ right not to be subjected to unreasonable search and seizure, Republicans are silent. But ask someone to buy health insurance, and all of a sudden they’re outraged.
Let’s get it together, people. If you’re worried about Big Government abuse of power, it’s not health care reform you ought to be trying to repeal – it’s the abusive Patriot Act.
Step 1: Call your U.S. Representatives and your two U.S. Senators, and tell them that you want them to vote against the extension of abusive Patriot Act spying powers. The telephone number is: (202) 224-3121.
Step 2: Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper asking for the sunset of the Patriot Act to be respected.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Will we ever learn?
That depends, Tom. Have you called your members of Congress? Have you written a letter to the editor? Have you told your friends about this and asked them to do the same or more?
Jim you know i’m active. i have my Senators’ #’s on my speeddial fer crissake. i e-mail them about everyday. My letters to the editor don’t usually get published (who reads the paper anymore) so i’ve stopped wasting my time with that.
Check this out:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110204/ap_on_bi_ge/egypt_journalists
I am one reporting that I, a private citizen, not a terrorist, not a criminal, have had my phones and computers messed with big time for a long time. Ever since I exposed one Corp-Gov fraud involving Travelers Ecxpress & a rip off they had going against their customers. I tried to call for investigations from elected oifficials all over Europe, Canada, Australia etc. Many recipients called for investigations into my allegations and I have not been alone on any comp since
I also feel I have been violated where do I report abuse of this law like entering my home!!!