Congressman Coble asks how has the Patriot Act affected you

[realFedUp]

Well, we know Mr. Coble has had feedback about some
of his comments- http://removecoble.yellowworld.org/comments.php?id=22_0_1_0_C
and I heard him say on a Congressional panel hearing
yesterday that he hasn't found anyone who has been
directly affected by the Patriot Act.

Of course, I thought to myself...how would we know?

Certainly we expect, by our online activism, even
posting on DU, our postings and
e-mails to be read by Echelon at the most and by conservative political operatives at the least.

We have no idea if our library and medical records
have been examined by the government or if
someone has entered our home secretly under the
provisions in the PA or if our phones are tapped,
or our whereabouts known by our cellphones' gps.

We don't know if our house is being photographed in
smaller details by spy satellites that in 1998 had the
ability to photograph a postage stamp on the ground.

We doubt that our personal and financial information is
secure anymore and whether our identities will be the next
to be "lost"

Everyone needs to read about the Patriot Act II that has
had secret behind the door meetings in the Senate Intelligence
Committee (which was marked up and voted out 11-4 recently)
and now goes to the Senate Judiciary committee. You need to
read the amending language in the SAFE act. You need to go
to the www.aclu.org and do the homework, because as
Congressman Cobles asks...how has the Patriot Act affected
you.

We'll never know til it's too late. And maybe either will
Mr. Cobles.

[Democracy White]

1. What's Echelon?

I think I have heard of it but I don't know what it is.

Dee

[realFedUp]

2. here:

You can read about it in a book titled "Chatter"
(I can't recall the author right now) and other
pieces I'm sure have been written about it.

this isn't much but here's a blurb:

http://www.echelonwatch.org/

Echelon is perhaps the most powerful intelligence gathering organization in the world. Several credible reports suggest that this global electronic communications surveillance system presents an extreme threat to the privacy of people all over the world. According to these reports, ECHELON attempts to capture staggering volumes of satellite, microwave, cellular and fiber-optic traffic, including communications to and from North America. This vast quantity of voice and data communications are then processed through sophisticated filtering technologies.

This massive surveillance system apparently operates with little oversight. Moreover, the agencies that purportedly run ECHELON have provided few details as to the legal guidelines for the project. Because of this, there is no way of knowing if ECHELON is being used illegally to spy on private citizens.

This site is designed to encourage public discussion of this potential threat to civil liberties, and to urge the governments of the world to protect our rights.

[yewberry]

3. Tell Mr. Cobles

to talk to the people at the Tattered Cover bookstore in Denver and their patrons. Talk to librarians.

Semi-related response to the PA from a cool librarian:
http://www.librarian.net/technicality.html

[Spectral]

4. They should also ask the peace protesters like Code Pink

There are published reports of infiltration of peace movements. Also check on what can be done to protesters.

[realFedUp]

5. Bush wants all the aspects of the Patriot Act made permanent

Be afraid, be very afraid.

Read all about it:
http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=18433&c=206

[Daphne08]

6. kick

:kick: