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Good News for Americans who Value Their Freedoms

Discussion in 'Alley of Lingering Sighs' started by Chandos the Red, Jun 16, 2005.

  1. Chandos the Red

    Chandos the Red This Wheel's on Fire

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    There is finally some good news for those Americans who value freedom in their own libraries - The House sent a rebuke to their own party leader, mostly because of concerns over the provisions in the Unpatriotic Act that allowed for the FBI to spy on fellow Americans who might linger too long in certain sections of their hometown libraries.

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8234242/

    This is really good news for those who are friends of liberty.
     
  2. Ragusa

    Ragusa Eternal Halfling Paladin Veteran

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    House Votes To Curb Patriot Act
    I find it is an interesting sign of conservative impatience woith Bush - evidently Bush can't rely on the blind obedience of his entire party anymore.

    It seems to me as if Senators start to think along what's right and wrong, use their brains and conscience, and no longer follow 'right or wrong my party' line.

    I think that's as encouraging as it was overdue. But ...
    As the german villains say in every bad U.S. war movie "Zhere will be repreizals!" Smear is on of them.
     
  3. T2Bruno

    T2Bruno The only source of knowledge is experience Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    I've always wondered why, if the stuff in the libraries was so bad, the FBI didn't just remove the offending books. Quite a bonfire they could get going with every possibly offensive book out there. [read the sarcasm between the lines here]

    While there is no place in a public library for books like 'The Anarchist's Cookbook' no one should be targetted for reading up on Muslim beliefs.
     
  4. LKD Gems: 31/31
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    I have to disagree with you, T2Bruno -- The Anarchists Cookbook has value. It could give the decent people insight into the mind of the crazies.

    Right wing though I am, I am also an English teacher. Any limitations on the books grown adults read makes me very uncomfortable. As for kids, well, I don't want them reading any sexy stuff until they can handle it, but once they're 18 . . . . anything goes!
     
  5. The Great Snook Gems: 31/31
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    This is very good news indeed. In my opinion liberty and freedom is probably more important than safety. The conservative movement is supposed to be about less government interference not more in the lives of citizens.
     
  6. AMaster Gems: 26/31
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    No, no, no; The Anarchist's Cookbook should be required reading for all Americans. If the point of the 2nd Ammendment is being able to whack POTUS if and when he steps out of line, that is.
     
  7. Blackthorne TA

    Blackthorne TA Master in his Own Mind Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Bah. "Friends of liberty"... bah! :) At most it would be "friends of privacy" because the "library provision" (which is a complete misnomer by the way) has nothing to do with restricting anyone in any way. It was simply a provision that allowed investigators to obtain a whole range of documents and other stuff (as an aside, neither libraries nor books is specifically mentioned, they were just a possibility) in the course of an investigation.

    It's not like investigators are going to go to the various libraries around the country and keep tabs on everyone who's been looking at certain books; it's simply ridiculous.

    I can understand that such things can of course be abused, and so it's probably better not to have them, but sheesh this is so blown out of proportion it's unbelievable. I might be more sympathetic if there were reports of abuse of the provision every time you turned around, but that's simply not the case.

    But really, I couldn't care less one way or the other.
     
  8. Chandos the Red

    Chandos the Red This Wheel's on Fire

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    They don't have to disclose to "everyone" if they are "running around to various libraries." Sorry if I'm not as trusting of our big, intrusive government as others are. Bah? I just taught my 18 month old daughter that word. She thinks it what a sheep says...funny thing... :)
     
  9. Gnarfflinger

    Gnarfflinger Wiseguy in Training

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    Interesting. Although I am not malicious, I've ovthen wondered what it would be like to blow something up, and who knows? If there's a major war in North America, you may need to do that to save your ass!
     
  10. T2Bruno

    T2Bruno The only source of knowledge is experience Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    AMaster: If POTUS steps out of line, the military can put him back in line. The military leaders swear an oath to uphold the Constitution -- if the President treads to the realm of unconstitutional acts, then the military is obligated to oppose him.
     
  11. Ragusa

    Ragusa Eternal Halfling Paladin Veteran

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    And you blindly trust them to do that?

    For a good number of US citizens Bush was appointed by god, and his authority is higher for them then that of a 'heathen' people, doomed to be left behind.
    IMO That's utter nonsense, but some people in the U.S. military seem to agree.

    Ansd then there are the 'right or wrong, my country' folks who just follow orders - after all POTUS is the president and their supreme commander in chief, or as we're acronyming already, SCINC :p
     
  12. T2Bruno

    T2Bruno The only source of knowledge is experience Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    He is simply CINC. The is no 's' in front of the acronym. Those who are CINC's of portions of the military have an additional descriptor after CINC, such as CINCPAC and CINCLANT (denoting a lesser status then the CINC). Although I think the new terms are COMFOR.

    Of course I trust the military to do that. If we, as Americans, cannot trust the military to uphold the Constitution of the United States, then we have no future. The military has always upheld the constitution and I believe they always will. They will only oppose the President if he goes against the constitution (which has never happened -- they may have violated certain laws, but not the constitution).
     
  13. Ragusa

    Ragusa Eternal Halfling Paladin Veteran

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  14. chevalier

    chevalier Knight of Everfull Chalice ★ SPS Account Holder Veteran

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    Such little things as library cards can't perhaps provide a damn great deal of proof in a trial but they aren't always irrelevant. I'm an enemy of blocking any relevant testimony or proof on the grounds of someone's privacy. Privacy is extremely important and there's no reason for federales to sit on piles of copied cards, but sometimes even such little stuff matters when it comes to a crime already committed. Obsession with privacy often means having something to hide. Like in those word vs word drunk date rape cases we've been talking about, where they insist on blocking evidence from previous sexual history. Why? To me, it's obvious. Out of fear that what they call irrelevant might actually turn out relevant. Same with library cards. Normally, there's no reason to delve into that. But in trials, it's different.
     
  15. T2Bruno

    T2Bruno The only source of knowledge is experience Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Stand back! I have a library card! And I'm NOT afraid to use it!
     
  16. Bion Gems: 21/31
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    TARFU in CONUS
    POTUS C2CO w/o HUMINT, VP SOB, Congress BAWs
    PATRIOT = CIA DIA NSA watch you 24/7 SOP
    REMF C4I = no WMD, Iraq FUBAR
    MSM OBE S2 UNODIR. BFH
    BOHICA
     
  17. LKD Gems: 31/31
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    AFAIK, in cases where they already have good grounds to suspect someone of wrongdoing, a warrant can be obtained to see that person's library records. What creeps me out is the idea (which may or may not be present in the current legislation) of some sort of database being created wherein they could monitor the reading habits of large numbers of people.

    Ragusa, I have to say, that although the article on the Air Force Academy is cool, I don't think many Americans believe that Bush was "appointed by God" -- they believe that he was elected by a democratic process. They might believe that said process is sanctioned by God, or that their country is, but that's another kettle of fish altogether.
     
  18. Ragusa

    Ragusa Eternal Halfling Paladin Veteran

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    ROTFLMAO !!!
     
  19. Arabwel

    Arabwel Screaming towards Apotheosis Veteran

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    Someone translate that to us plebians? :D
     
  20. Harbourboy

    Harbourboy Take thy form from off my door! Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Bion, what did all that gibberish mean?
     
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