Urge your Senators to fix Patriot Act - Free Fax

[madmax]

From: Matt Howes, National Internet Organizer, ACLU
Date: September 23, 2003

We are asking that you take two related actions this week: one urging the Senate to fix the PATRIOT Act and another asking Congress as a whole to oppose the expansion of unnecessary surveillance and other police powers that threaten civil liberties. These actions are necessary because of an unusual split in Washington -- many in Congress are working to fix the more dangerous portions of the PATRIOT Act while President Bush, Attorney General Ashcroft and their allies continue to push for new and expanded law enforcement powers.

1) Earlier this month, the House voted overwhelmingly during consideration of an appropriations bill to bar the Justice Department from using the "sneak and peek" warrants authorized in the PATRIOT Act. Despite the 309 to 118 vote in the House against the use of these black bag searches, the Senate has yet to act.

The Senate is now poised to consider its version of the Justice Department appropriations measure and needs your support to adopt fixes like those adopted by the House.

Take Action! Urge your Senators to fix the problems with the PATRIOT Act, not give the government even more invasive and intrusive police powers.

Click here for more information and to send a free fax to your Senators:

http://www.aclu.org/NationalSecurity/NationalSecurity.cfm?ID=13691&c=24

[DuctapeFatwa]

1. The only way to fix it is to repeal it

And since Congress is transitioning into the typical rubber-stamp symbolic body of a military dictatorship, repeal is unlikely.

Although it is only fair to point out that whatever laws exist or do not has little effect on the regime doing what it will to whom and when it chooses.

If he hadn't been disappeared by regime gunmen over a year ago, you could ask Jose Padilla...

[sonias]

2. True but you have to start somewhere

Once they keep having to patch it here and there, maybe they'll realize the whole thing has to be scrapped. It may not happen during the bu$h regime term but the momentum has got to keep building. All the cities and states that have voted against it are making news. That's why asscrack is going around the country touring to support it. Except he's not doing town hall meetings, he's only doing invited guest appearances at law enforcement agencies and such. Congress did cut off the funding for the Sneak and Peek provision, so there is concern there.

Nobody said it would be easy, but that's no reason not to work to bring it down.

Sonia