Listen to
this, from the WaPo:
"A member of the American Library Association has sued the Justice Department to challenge an FBI demand for records, but the USA Patriot Act prohibits the plaintiff from publicly disclosing its identity or other details of the dispute, according to court documents released yesterday."
Well, at least someone has challenged this ridiculous piece of legislation--we just don't know who, or why.
It's for your own protection, ya know.
But, one might say, I thought Big Brother wasn't really interested in library records... After all, Attorney General Abu "Gonzo" Gonzales assured us back in April that the Justice Department
"has no interest in rummaging through the library records or medical records of Americans". Could it be that (gasp) he wasn't telling us the whole truth???
"The suit, originally filed under seal in Connecticut on Aug. 9, focuses on the FBI's use of a document called a 'national security letter' (NSL), which allows investigators to demand records without the approval of a judge and to prohibit companies or institutions from disclosing the request. Restrictions on the FBI's use of NSLs were loosened under the Patriot Act.
The identity of the institution, the records being sought and numerous other details are edited out of the public version of the complaint released by the American Civil Liberties Union, which is a party to the lawsuit.
But the edited lawsuit reveals that the plaintiff is a member of the libraries association, that it provides 'circulation and cataloging of library materials,' and that it allows 'library patrons . . . to search library collections and check the status of their accounts.' The complaint also says the institution 'provides Internet access for use by staff and patrons' and that the FBI was seeking 'subscriber information, billing information and access logs' related to an unidentified target.
'The most immediate concern we have is that if Congress passes the House version, our client could actually go to jail for participating in the Patriot Act debate,' Beeson said.
Patrice McDermott of the American Library Association said the lawsuit 'shows what we've been saying all along: that the FBI is indeed very interested in libraries.'"
This is America, one nation under Bush, amen. Watch what you read, or we will come to get you, and you can't say a word.
www.antichimp.com