Thursday November 5, 2009, 7:04 pm
Dear ACLU Supporter, (And YOU)

Every day since President Bush signed the Patriot Act into law, this alarming and unconstitutional legislation has severely undermined American freedom.

It all began 2,932 days ago, when your representative in Congress voted to pass the Patriot Act. But we can end the damage this dangerous legislation has done today with swift action from you and thousands of other ACLU supporters.

This week, the House Judiciary Committee is working on a bill to reform the deeply flawed Patriot Act. Now, we need you to contact your Representative with a clear, unequivocal message.

Tell your U.S. representative that voting for the Patriot Act was a serious mistake and that action to end the damage this dangerous legislation has done is long overdue.

The Patriot Act has deep flaws that threaten your fundamental freedoms by giving the government the power to access your medical records, tax records, information about the books you buy or borrow without probable cause.

It also gives the government the power to break into your home and conduct secret searches without telling you for weeks, months—or they may never tell you.

We need reforms that effectively rein in the out-of-control government powers embedded in the Patriot Act. And those who voted for the act eight long years ago have a special responsibility to act.

Tell your U.S. representative to undo the damage the Patriot Act has caused for the past 2,932 days.

It’s crucial that every member of Congress—especially those who voted for the Patriot Act 2,932 days ago—hears our demand for real Patriot Act reform that:

Protects the privacy of records by limiting the government’s use of National Security Letters to collect the records of innocent people far removed from an actual terrorism suspect...

Protects the privacy of homes and businesses by restricting secret “sneak and peek” searches to emergencies and urgent circumstances...

Protects First Amendment rights by requiring the government to convince a court that a National Security gag order is necessary...

Action on this critical issue could take place at any moment. Please contact your representative now...(Visit site)

Sincerely,

Anthony D. Romero
Executive Director
American Civil Liberties Union

Friday November 6, 2009, 5:02 am
Done. Thanks David.

Thank you for taking action. Your letter has been sent.
We know your time is limited, and we appreciate your efforts to protect civil liberties.

Saturday November 7, 2009, 3:17 am
Signed, thanks David.
I don't think that many Americans realize what freedom means anymore, or what it has cost us to obtain freedom.
And the one''s that scream "more government" now will only realize what it was once it is gone. They will undoubtedly be the one's that scream about their loss of rights the loudest when they have none.
But will they ever admit the fact that when they had the opportunity to protect these rights that they were the one's condoning the loss of their rights? Probably not.

Saturday November 7, 2009, 4:16 pm
Card carrying member for 2 yrs now, hmm, about the same time I've been on computer. Goddess Bless the Internet, and you David!

Saturday November 7, 2009, 6:32 pm
David,
I just read the Australian constitution and I am having trouble finding where the Patriot Act violates it. Perhaps it is because the Queen hasn't approved it:
Section 60 – Signification of Queen’s pleasure on Bills reserved


A proposed law reserved for the Queen’s pleasure shall not have any force unless and until within two years from the day on which it was presented to the Governor-General for the Queen’s assent the Governor-General makes known, by speech or message to each of the Houses of the Parliament, or by Proclamation, that it has received the Queen’s assent."
Surely you aren't sitting around worried about US Constitutional issues?

Sunday November 8, 2009, 5:54 am
I think we have lost our freedom gradually over the years without realising it... freedom has been slowly erased, that we have lost the line of freedom and gained bondage... we definitely need to get back to the good old days

Sunday November 8, 2009, 2:30 pm
Signed.Thanks.

Sunday November 8, 2009, 6:10 pm
TY for your inspriing commentary, David B. The so-called "Patriot Act" is totally unconstitutional, in that it violates the Bill of Rights - covering issues of free speech and privacy to the right to confront your accusers at trial to states' rights. This legislation - passed in the dead of night without having been read - is quite similar to the "Enabling Act" enacted in 1930's Germany following the Reichstag fire, destroying any rights the German citizenry had before that incident.

In addition, the citizens of East Germany never regained their rights following the end of WWII until the fall of the Berlin Wall just 20 years ago. The History Channel portrayed the story of this wall very well; over 200 people had died trying to escape from the time the wall was erected until it fell.

No, the "Patriot Act" must be totally dismantled; reforming a totally unconstitutional law is not enough. We cannot - actually, must not - repeat the horrible mistakes of Hitler's Germany; which, within a dozen years, was destroyed. The Founding Fathers risked all to establish a Constitutional Republic, in which the people would be protected from illegal infringements on speech, religion, personal privacy, etc. They wrote the Constitution to llimit the powers of the Federal Government vis-a-vis the individual States, as well as divide the powers of this Government between the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary. What the Bush/Cheney Regime did on 9/11/01 was exploit the attacks on the Pentagon and the WTC in the same manner as the Nazis had exploited the Reichstag fire in 1933; thus exposing the similarity between the Nazi "Enabling Act" and the USA's "Patriot Act".