DU this CNN Poll: Is the Gov't Reading Private Letters Mailed to US Okay?

[nicknameless]

Do you think the government’s ability to read letters mailed to the United States from abroad is a legitimate tool in the war on terror?

Yes
36%
7808 votes


No
64%
13806 votes


Total: 21614 votes

http://www.cnn.com

[andino]

1. At what point did this happen?

[kenny blankenship]

2. Isn't the issue Bush's illegal circumvention of the law CONTROLLING use of

such surveillance and not surveillance practice itself ?
Why does CNN consistently frame this story like it can't read the wire stories that pass through its own website?
No one is criticizing the Bush administration for inventing the practice of opening foreign mail, they didn't invent it, under carefully worked out legal traditions it isn't "illegitimate" and no one is criticizing it. The story belatedly appearing in the NYTimes has to do with the secret but wholesale violation of the law regarding the practice by Bush. (And it is a criminal violation by Bush himself since he doesn't deny knowing about but on the contrary shows no surprise and asserts that it will continue.)

Fuck CNN.

[nicknameless]

6. All of MSM has pretty much been doing that since the NYT story broke.

They ask if * should be able to do surveillance, rather than asking if he should be required to get warrants first.

CNN sucks.

I'm sure * is abusing his power on the issue, so regardless of the framing, I voted "No".
Too many revelations about privacy issue violations -- especially in the last month or so. Outrage fatigue.
... I'm ready to vote that he shouldn't be able to set foot in the White House again.

[Zinfandel]

3. Got a link?

[kenny blankenship]

4. cnn.com frontpage

also here http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/01/09/terrorism.mail.reut/index.html
(reuter's wire story)

[nicknameless]

7. D'oh! Sorry.

[longship]

5. Here's the Link

Link to poll

It's on the main page, on the right side.

[nicknameless]

8. Thanks!

:)

[KatieM]

13. Done...

thanks

[MikeStl]

9. This article

I read this a couple hours ago and was very irritated as well. What a poorly written piece of crap. It confuses the issue..is it referring to parcels, or just letters, is it talking about the justification for such searches. It blends it together with the long standing practice of customs checking items coming in to the US and words it like "gee you may never have heard of this but...". Maybe confusing the issue was the whole damn point of the article in the first place. Ok this is getting on my nerves so I should probably head to sleep. :eyes:

[nicknameless]

11. Information twisting. It's their job.

Pleasant dreams. I'd welcome you to DU, but you've been here longer than I have. :)

[shance]

10. It's called A FELONY OFFENSE.

Looks as though the Media Industrial Complex trying to condition Americans to second guess the Constitution and get us used to police state tactics by even asking such a question.

[nicknameless]

14. Yep.

Outrage overload. Reading threads on the Greatest page is giving me a headache. Sooooo much corruption.

It's all unraveling, and it is incredibly ugly.
So do we just acclimate to living under a fascist dictatorship, or do we revolt? What will Congress do?
I downloaded a clip from 1973 (CrooksAndLiars.com) about Nixon's crimes.
... 30 years later, just more of the same.

[flordehinojos]

12. CNN counter still at 64% No with 14917 votes on the NO side.

don't recall what the YES side is reporting on the CNN counter.

[nicknameless]

15. Current:

Yes
36%
8455 votes


No
64%
15169 votes



Total: 23624 votes

[flordehinojos]

18. is the statistic on this vote count, i.e. percent yes, percent no, being

skewed in some way? it looks suspicious to me...but then, i am no statistician.

[nicknameless]

21. I wondered about that too.

Over 2,000 votes later, and it's still at the same percentages.

[matt819]

36. Have you noticed?

Percentages never change on CNN polls. Once the vote pattern is set, it seems to never change. Any statisticians and sociologists out there want to comment?

[nicknameless]

37. Well.. It didn't budge for hours. Now it's headed in the insane direction.

Go figure. Maybe the FReepers just got up. :shrug:

I have noticed that a lot of polls (esp. Yahoo) don't seem to change.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. No, not without a FISA warrant

not that most folks would get it.

[nicknameless]

24. Not sure I've seen any news outlet ask a surveillance question in a way

that mentions warrants.

[sandnsea]

17. 36% yes

Stunning. Let's suggest a new question. "Do you think the government's ability to grab your wife and secretly hold her indefinitely is a legitimate tool in the war on terror?" Would the Bushbots go for that too?? Maybe that's the way to get the womenfolk's attention.

[nicknameless]

19. Hmm... Would "Bushbots" care about that? Maybe they would.

The only thing I know with certainty, is that they care about $$$.

[WinkyDink]

20. Up to 82% "No" now.

Still too many morans, though.
Must be still eatin' them Freedom fries.

[nicknameless]

22. Are you sure? I'm still seeing 64%.

:shrug:

[Nutmegger]

23. DONE!!!

Yes 36% 8670 votes

No 64% 15625 votes
Total: 24295 votes



K&R!!!:kick:

[Radio_Lady]

25. Done: Results 1:10 AM Pacific Time 01/10/06

Do you think the government’s ability to read letters mailed to the United States from abroad is a legitimate tool in the war on terror?

Yes 36% 9099 votes

No 64% 16505 votes
Total: 25604 votes

[NMMNG]

26. Done. Still 36% yes/64% no

Yes 36% 9650 votes

No 64% 17475 votes
Total: 27125 votes

[laylah]

27. 4:59 AM CST

Do you think the government’s ability to read letters mailed to the United States from abroad is a legitimate tool in the war on terror?

Yes 36% 10217 votes

No 64% 18316 votes
Total: 28533 votes

[nicknameless]

28. What do you suppose the odds are that the percentages could stay

exactly the same for over four hours and nearly 8,000 additional votes? Seems fishy, IMO.

(Current total: 29551)

[Vidar]

29. done

[SalmonChantedEvening]

30. done! n/t

[Cats Against Frist]

31. Those 36 percent have probably never gotten off the back 40

in their entire lives. "Wut do ya mean? People git lettrs from uther cuntries?"

Bunch of fucking tools -- and all Bush supporters, I'm sure. We get Waco every fucking day with this crew.

[Eugene]

32. ...legitimate tool in the war on terror?

Could CNN be trying to influence the responses? :eyes:

Anyway...

Yes 37% 12561 votes
No 63% 21282 votes

Total: 33843 votes

[andlor]

33. done

[Tennessee Gal]

34. Done

[in_cog_ni_to]

35. OMG!!! These people are just plain old NUTS! 39% YES?? 61% SANE Humans.

Do you think the government’s ability to read letters mailed to the United States from abroad is a legitimate tool in the war on terror?

Yes 39% 16266 votes

No 61% 25827 votes
Total: 42093 votes

[ComerPerro]

38. You really gotta admire the way that BushCo and the media have spun this

They keep stressing "international", and sometimes even go as far as to say "only calls and letters from terrorists".

Well, duh. Of course, that would be the goal, wouldn't it?

And, to most "reasonable" Americans, this is fine. After all, I am not a terrorist, I don't communicate with terrorists. Hell, I don't even receive international mail or phone calls. So why should I care?

I should care because I have no way of knowing that the calls being monitored and letters being read are just limited to international mail and phone calls.

What assurance do I have that they aren't listening on a call between me and my girlfriend? Between me and my Democratic Congressman? Between my Democratic Congressman and someone else?

Why should I trust this administration with this level of power?

[Moosepoop]

39. Slipping even more... 60% - 40% now.

Just voted, and here's the current stats:

Do you think the government’s ability to read letters mailed to the United States from abroad is a legitimate tool in the war on terror?

Yes 40% 19984 votes

No 60% 30155 votes
Total: 50139 votes

[nicknameless]

40. Idiots. Reminds me of Martin Niemoeller's verse.

Paraphrasing: "... And then they came for the wing-nuts."

[cry baby]

41. 40% of americans clearly don't know what it means to live in

America.

60% no, 40% yes

[nicknameless]

42. Oh well. It *is* CNN. Maybe it's another one of their Psyops projects.

http://www.counterpunch.org/cnnpsyops.html

[sinkingfeeling]

43. It's being freeped. Now only 59% say 'no.'

[derby378]

44. We are LOSING GROUND

It's now 59% No. The Nazis are getting mobilized. Fight back!

[theHandpuppet]

45. Now 59 no, 41 yes

I really can't believe this. What the hell is wrong with the American people? What liberties do they think they're protecting when they start spouting about freedom and democracy? :shrug:

[flordehinojos]

46. are CNN's polling machines run and operated by the DIEBOLD SYSTME?

YOU KNOW, THE DIEBOLD SYSTEM LIKES TO COUNT FOR THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT YOUR ACTUAL VOTE IS FOR.

[nicknameless]

48. Exactly. I don't believe these results.

[nicknameless]

47. Yeah, right. Nobody cares if their mail is being read illegally.

I'm calling BS.