I Received A Flyer At Work Asking Me To Help Support The Patriot Act

[THUNDER HANDS]

No joke.

I came into work yesterday (I work in the neonatology unit of a hospital) and on one of the counters were a stack of flyers.

The flyers had a big background of an American Flag and in writing underneath urged people to support the fight against terrorism and the USA Patriot Act.

How?

Well, from what I was able to gather on the back of the flyer, it has something to do with the local credit union. Apparently, the hospital is encouraging its employees to register additional information with the credit union. Or, if they're not already in it, to sign up and include a whole lot more information than what one originally would submit.

Oh, and you also get entered in a raffle to win $500.

Has anyone else heard of anything like this before? This is really kinda scary that the Patriot Act is infecting my place of work.

[Brucey]

1. I've never heard of such a thing, and can't imagine

what the proper response would be. Could you just burn the flyers? Perhaps you could get the fire going with some American flags... that would make you popular at work.

[T Roosevelt]

2. Did you do the right thing?

As in throw all the flyers out and replace them with an anti-Patriot Act flyer? (I'm sure there's something on http://www.bordc.org) :evilgrin:

[LynneSin]

3. But you could win $500 - WOOHOO

:crazy:

You know what is really crazy - if you went to work handing out flyers to NOT support the Patriot Act and to sign a petition to have your local city council oppose it. If you tried something like that you know you're butt (or whoever did it) would be in serious hot water!

[StopTheMorans]

4. that's scary

and it's damn despicable that they're trying to dupe people into doing it by entering them in a $500 raffle.

[THUNDER HANDS]

6. oh yeah

the $500 was the big hook. I COULD be one of FOUR winners!!!

:eyes:

[dwckabal]

5. I've read newspaper articles

about this. It seems that as part of the Patriot Act, banks (and I assume credit unions) are required to collect more information about their customers. The article I read was talking about the problems that this has created for smaller, local banks. People are upset and offended that the banks they have done business for the last 20 years, all of a sudden are asking for all this personal information.

[Fuzz]

8. What kind of additional information are they looking for?

?

[Ilsa]

11. What else are the banks looking for?

They have records of our spending habits. My pharmacy and doctor's office say they'll give up any info on us for "national security" or "to protect the President". Makes me sick to think that my private info could be disclosed to a stranger, especially to help protect that horse's ass in the White House.

I can't wait until 2005. Can the new President rescind the PA (or parts of it) by executive order?

[wtmusic]

7. Ghosts of McCarthy

They want you to rat on your neighbor. What was that bag of white stuff he was taking out of his trunk? That guy walking down the street yesterday, he looked kind of MUSLIM, didn't he? Aren't you SCARED?

C'mon Rat, do your duty.

[baby_bear]

9. Talk to the ACLU

I can think of various nice and not-so-nice things you could do, like starting a boycott of the credit union for one, but I'm not a lawyer and I think you should get some advice regarding what retaliatory actions you can take and still be legal and also not jeopardize your job.

It's despicable -- and it shouldn't go unanswered. Please let us know here what happens with this. If nothing else, you can share your disgust with your co-workers.

By the way, does the flyer specify what information is being requested and explain why that "supports" the Patriot Act? If it is vague, you could call the credit union, ask to talk to the general manager and ask pointed questions. Use a phony name.

Good luck.

s_m

[THUNDER HANDS]

12. the flyer was extremely vague

But there were a few contact numbers on it. I'm definately going to be giving a call to a few people.

[salin]

13. Do you have a copy or copies

make sure to send one along with the details of how/where it appeared to the ACLU.

[Andy_Stephenson]

14. The ACLU is no help on this

hell they won't even fight for a paper trail on the voting machines.

[el_gato]

17. the ACLU has been a big help

they have been very active in our efforts to get an
anti-pat act resolution passed here

[Ruby Newsbee]

10. If you crinkle it up until it's pliable

you can use it to wipe your butt.

[Robb]

15. A hospital is a private entity

...but it usually receives some public funding. I would check with your city council, and see if they passed any anti-PA legislation.

In my town, for example, town employees (including the police force) risk dismissal if they aid federal authorities operating under the PA.... :)

[DemBones DemBones]

16. Dennis Kucinich introduced a House bill to gut the Patriot Act so call

your Rep and ask him/ her to support it. Kucinich promises to use an executive order to throw out the Patriot Act when he becomes president but is doing his best to pull all its teeth now.

I haven't seen any news outfit cover the story but here's the campaign's press release about the bill:


Congressman Dennis Kucinich continued his leadership today
on Capitol Hill today by introducing the first comprehensive
bill to repeal offensive sections of the misnamed "USA PATRIOT
Act." The Kucinich bill -- called the "Benjamin Franklin True
Patriot Act" -- is already supported by the ACLU, NAACP, a
Jewish group, an Islamic group, and 20 members of Congress.

Kucinich's bill would repeal sections of the original "PATRIOT
Act," that authorize 'sneak and peak' searches; warrantless
library, medical, educational, and financial record searches;
and the detention and deportation of non-citizens without
meaningful judicial review. Passage would be the final deadline
-- or death -- for the "PATRIOT Act."

Rep. Kucinich is the only presidential candidate who voted
against the "PATRIOT Act" in October, 2001. The other Democrats
in Congress currently running for president all voted for it --
and Howard Dean has said, "I never criticize them for that" in
view of the post-9/11 pressure. Congressman Kucinich stood up
to the pressure then...and now.

At a news conference today, Kucinich invoked the words of Ben
Franklin, "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase
a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

Kucinich added: "Will we stand by as the Administration formulates
a second more dangerous "PATRIOT Act" because, in the President's
words, 'the first bill didn't go far enough'? Or will we step
back from this atmosphere of fear and work to restore our basic
freedoms and rights? With the introduction of the True Patriot
Act, I say we take back our Constitution."

[OrdinaryTa]

18. Neonates are Suspicious

So you work in the neonatology unit.... Somebody should check out those neonates for their suspicious political leanings. Don't be afraid to drop a dime .... defend our country!!

Edit: typo

[MrPrax]

19. Go To Your Union...

If you don't got one, then start one!!

:wow:

A People United, will never be defeated!!!

[Robbien]

20. If this is a public hospital

distributing political material on premises is against federal guidelines and they can lose their federal funding for Medicare and Medicaid. Wonder if your administration is aware this is being done.

[Stuckinthebush]

21. It sounds like some flyers need to end up in the trash...

with a cup of coffee accidently spilled on them.

No...wait...sorry, that would be wrong.

But it would feel good!

[TreasonousBastard]

22. The credit union has...

to try to get that info, thanks to PATRIOT, but it doesn't have to be so damn happy about it.

"The FBI requires you to submit this information or they threaten to have us close your account. The alternative is for them to close us down if we don't get enough idiots to go along with this. Failure to disclose this information is punishable by... Have a nice day."

Would I be too far off guessing that the flyers were printed at taxpayer expense, explaining the propaganda?