Civil Libertarians Warn of 'Patriot Act Lite'

Civil Libertarians Warn of 'Patriot Act Lite'

By William Fisher

11/28/07 "IPS" -- NEW YORK, 27 Nov (IPS) - Civil libertarians are worried that a little-known anti-terrorism bill now making its way through the U.S. Congress with virtually no debate could be planting the seeds of another USA Patriot Act, which was hurriedly enacted into law after the al Qaeda attacks of Sep. 11, 2001.

The Violent Radicalisation and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act, co-authored by the former chair of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, Jane Harmon, a California Democrat, passed the House by an overwhelming 400-6 vote last month, and will soon be considered by the Senate.

The bill's co-author is Republican Congressman David Reichert of Washington State. The Senate version is being drafted by Susan Collins of Maine, the ranking Republican on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which is chaired by the hawkish Connecticut independent, Sen. Joe Lieberman. Harmon is chair of the House Homeland Security Intelligence Subcommittee.

Civil liberties groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), say the measure could herald a new government crackdown on dissident activity and infiltration of universities under the guise of fighting terrorism.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18779.htm

Why should anyone give a rat's tail about Patriot Act Lite? It has fewer calories and is less filling, and has the same great fascist taste as the full-bodied one.

Nay HI-1 Abercrombie, Neil
Nay IL-12 Costello, Jerry
Nay TN-2 Duncan, John
Nay AZ-6 Flake, Jeff
Nay OH-10 Kucinich, Dennis
Nay CA-46 Rohrabacher, Dana

Kucinich decided to throw his lot in with the people who defend freedom.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2007-993

that is particularly true when it is the lawmakers who are frightened by the people.

None of us who lived the violent response of local, state and federal governments to the civil rights movement and antiwar movement in the 1960's and early 70's would have any doubt that 'The Government' will preserve the status quo by doing whatever is required.

That in lawmakers fear of al Qaeda and other unknown dangers feared to be lurking in the dark corners of society they find a proximate motivation for erecting laws that obstruct the fundamental obligation of people to organize to overthrow unresponsive governments attempting to subjugate the people should be no surprise.

It matters not, even if that obligation of free people is the cornerstone of our nationhood and the license of the subjugated to seek freedom, because earnestly seeking to maintain liberty seems to the paranoid to be just so much 18th century hysteria.

Our lawmakers have more contemporary and thereby higher priority problems to deal with.