On October 26, 2001 only 45 days after the attacks of Sept. 11, Congress passed a 342-page document titled the United States of America Patriot Act (USAPA). Understand family; this joint is a longstanding law enforcement wish list that had been rejected several times before by Congress with names that sounded like “The Surveillance Act� during Reagan and papa Bush’s years in office. It got through when the Republicans forced Congress to vote rapidly without fully debating or at least having given sufficient time to review the bill presented by the Attorney General John Ashcroft.
According to the Bill of Rights Defense Committee the Bush administration implied that members who voted against the Patriot Act would be blamed if any further attacks were to pop off in the United States. For this reason many didn’t have the time to examine or read the bill. So, the Patriot Act got passed through Congress with virtually no debate. The vote went 98 against 1, the 1 being from Russ Feingold (D-Wis.). Due to a speedy vote and also the bullying of the Bush administration in the frightening weeks after 9/11 Russ Feingold had very little time to make a strong case against the Patriot Act.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) states that the Patriot Act violates our first, fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth and fourteenth amendments. This law attacks our right to live freely and share an opinion by demonstrating our opposition democratically.
That son of Bush and his homeboy Attorney General John Aschroft are working to get on a sequel to the first bill. This one is called Patriot Act part II AKA The Domestic Security Enhancement. These new laws of the right wing Bush administration are unjust and undemocratic.
Inside this 342-page document there are some very disturbing Title/Provisions such as:
Section 203: Authority to Share Criminal Investigative Information, meaning the local pigs are allowed to give the CIA sensitive information gathered in criminal investigations. Including wiretaps, DNA blood sample and Internet trapping.
Section 206: (Roving Surveillance Authority under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 AKA Roving Wiretaps), permits the use of “roving wiretaps� in a (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) FISA investigation, which allows the investigating agency to obtain a single court order to monitor the electronic communications of a person at any location or on any device, including e-mail and internet communications.
Section 213: (Authority for delaying notice of the execution of a warrant AKA “sneak and peek�. These sections allow government officials to enter and search your home without ever informing you. Now the authorities can delay notifying you of the search indefinitely, you are also not allowed to view the warrant. The U.S. Constitution requires not only probable cause to search, but that you be notified of the search. Bush and his administration are in violation by going around the notice requirement of the 4th amendment. And that’s not the end of the Patriot Act. Another thing that’s ill about this Patriot Act is the title/provisions that follow:
Section 215: (access to records and other items under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance act) which grants the FBI broad access to sensitive medical, financial, mental health and educational records like library cards, books, movies purchased or rented and internet usage while in school, library, at your dorm or wherever you sign your name to use a computer that is public. The government got all this on you without having to show you evidence of a crime and without a court order.
Section 802: (definition of domestic terrorism), in tandem with section 411 expands power of government to designate a group to be a foreign terrorist organization. They are also saying any group that’s anti Bush Administration can be labeled as a group that supports terrorism. For instance activists who rallied or rally to stop the bombings in Iraq or in Palestine could be considered endorsers of terrorist activity. To be in opposition to the Bush administration is considered by the Right wing to be unpatriotic and anti-American. There are many more sections in this Patriot Act II worth discussing more information may be acquired by going to www.ACLU.com.
The sequel to the Patriot Act (USAPAII) AKA (Domestic Security Enhancement) is meant to slowly destroy checks on government. This will give the authority to the Bush administration to strip even native-born Americans of U.S. citizenship if they are involved in or sponsor organizations that the government considers to be terrorist. The USAPAII also allows deportations without evidence; even of permanent residents whom the Attorney General decides are a threat to national security. This son of a Bush and his Patriot Act II eliminates many of the checks and balances that remained on government snooping even after passage of the USA Patriot Act. This attack on our civil liberties is a step closer (and much more evident) to fascism which obviously where Bush’s administration wants to take us.
The American Civil Liberties Union is working on some resolutions with several city councils and senators as well as with The National Lawyers Guild, and the Bill of Rights defense committee. The Black Radical Congress out in Philly is working to pass a resolution in coalition with other groups out there. There are also even some conservative groups that have greeted the draft of an enhancement act to the USA Patriot Act with great concern. According to a report by ABC news correspondent, Dean Schabner, some conservatives are joining liberal groups in their criticism of John Aschroft’s Justice Department.
It is important to get this Administration out of office in 2004.
Peace One Love
KiNoNE
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