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DownsizeDC.org
February 10, 2010
Posted by James Leroy Wilson

Three provisions of the PATRIOT ACT are due to expire at the end of this month. These provisions are . . .

1. Business Records: allows searches on your personal data without your knowledge if the FBI convinces a judge it is "relevant" to a terrorism investigation. The data could be computer-related, financial, medical, or even your library check-out history
2. Lone Wolf: allows the federal government to spy on a foreign person with no known ties to a foreign government or terrorist group -- a power that's never been used
3. Roving Wiretap: allows federal agents to intercept phone conversations without having to specify the person being investigated or which phone is being used

The House and Senate can't seem to agree on reforming the Patriot Act. They might, however, agree on another temporary renewal of these provisions for 2-6 months.

We have a better idea. Use DownsizeDC.org's "I am not afraid" campaign to tell Congress to just let these provisions expire.

You may borrow from or copy this letter . . .

Last month it was revealed that the FBI illegally collected 2,000 phone records by falsely claiming a terrorism emergency. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60I0KB20100119

I consider this not just a crime by the FBI, but a failure of Congress as well. I wonder if Congress even cares about the abuse of powers you've given the Executive Branch.

Since the original USA PATRIOT Act was passed in 2001, Congress has failed . . .

* to provide basic civil liberties protections in its Patriot Act and FISA Amendments legislation
* to narrowly focus surveillance and search powers to suspected terrorists and information directly related to terrorism; instead, it has given the Administration sweeping powers to snoop on anyone who accidentally and incidentally comes into contact with a suspected terrorist
* to provide sufficient oversight of the Administration's vast new powers
* to hold the FBI or Executive Branch officials accountable for law-breaking

The House did pass H.R. 3845, which restores several important civil liberties that were lost in the Patriot Act. But the Senate seems unwilling to pass it.

I'm hoping for a different kind of failure. If the Senate refuses to pass H.R. 3845, I hope Congress "fails" to pass any temporary extension of the Patriot Act's expiring provisions.

* the House should stand firm and insist on passing H.R. 3845 with no further watered-down compromises
* Senators should filibuster any bill that does not restore civil liberties protections
* do NOT let this issue drag on for another few months by passing a temporary extension

I do not believe letting these provisions expire will make me less safe, I believe their expiration will make me *more* safe. In fact, I believe repealing the Patriot Act altogether would make me safer than I am now . . .

* safer from terrorism, because this would force intelligence and law enforcement agencies to investigate actual suspected terrorists instead of targeting anyone and everyone;
* safer from my own government, because I won't live in fear of being spied on or falsely caught up in an investigation

I hope this letter encourages and emboldens you to do the right thing.

END LETTER

You may send your letter using DownsizeDC.org's Educate the Powerful System.

Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.

1 comments posted so far
MrTideman
February 24, 2010 10:02 AM (EST)
Thank you Mr. Wilson for this and the link that reads that the F.B.I. supposedly stopped this practice in Year 2006, but that in 2007 they have tried and succeeded in a new tactic of a request to the utility providers that here in New Hampshire goes un-challenged by MY complaint filed but never heard in our PUC: Public Utility Commission, in that they be allowed to disconnect all forms of communication, be it by U.S. postal mail, AND private telephone +/or electricity for which to "touch base" as my friend says for the computer. - - Unlike other states we have what's called the Article 10 Right of Revolution. Not to rebel against lawful authority but to re-volt when those public servants turn to their "perverted" ways of corruption. Either or both of them being withIN the state or withOUT as from the Federalies. And as they say of: "It takes two to tango", unfortunately the PUC is NOT really public as in free speech on both ends of the sender and receiver, but only upon the "C" in this case of the consumer, so really not a PUC, but a CUC. - - Thus the 1st Amendment to Free Speech is dead here in this state. Deadened by Federalies who ignore our Article 12 - N.H. right of that: "Nor are the inhabitants of this state controllable by any other laws than those to which they, or their representative body, have given their consent." The same applicable maybe to your state too. Check it out; in your constitution AND statute as posted over at Attorney Lowell "Larry" Becraft's website of http://www.constitution.org/juris/fjur/1fj-ba.htm from Huntsville, Alabama. The problem being in our state of yes, we have this right, but WHO to law-enforce it when "they" at the local, county and state levels are feeding at the Federal trough of accepting federal funds! According to Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 of the U.S. Constitution the Feds need a "Consent" from that state BEFORE they can have the jurisdictional authority to operate there. It's the law as applied to them/ the Feds by the rules or statutes withIN your state. So far I've found out that no federal officer has YET to file those papers with either our N.H. Secretary of State by R.S.A. Chapter 123:1 here NOR to the governor in Florida. The 40USC255 to Title 40 U.S. Code 3112 federal papers of the G.S.A. / General Services Administration landlord (currently: Martha Johnson as the "head" of this "agency" whose Deputy has been alerted of this by me, but yet to act) to these Article III, Section 1 "inferior Courts of Congress" as their tenants in those federal buildings. Some of whom may have an occupancy permit from that city as in compliance with all the zoning codes, but still no operating papers. The U.S. Attorney "knows" this by his or her own Manual #664 but hides the fact of non-filing in a cover-up. A refusal by the judge in a case to allow such evidence to be marked as an exhibit for the jury to decide that the end does NOT justify the means! Where be the 5th + 14th Amendments to procedural due process of law!? Even the U.S. Supreme Court says it all: a conditional offer of consent, un-accepted is NOT Consent! Reference the Adams case of 1943. Thus how many victims of such be in your state too. My friend and his wife are the victims here: Ed & Elaine Brown, and so "if" this is not corrected on their appeal to Boston for the First Circuit, then to appeal to Washington first to the Supremes AGAIN as in 1943 +/or to the President for an Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 Reprieve or Pardon. Yours truly, JosephSHaas at hotmail dot com