T U E S D A Y , J U N E 2 1 , 2 0 0 5Big Brother Is Watching What You Readby Michael in New York on 6/21/2005 07:46:00 PMJohn Ashcroft lied when he said the Justice Department reallywasn't interested in what you were reading.</p><p> And Bush liedwhen he said that the gov't really, really needed the power togo on fishing expeditions in libraries and bookstores without awarrant but they would never actually use it.Now this gets tricky, because under the Patriot Act, librariesaren't allowed to say if they've been approached by the JusticeDept. under the auspices of the UnPatriotic Act.</p><p> But theAmerican Library Association did a sideways survey and foundlibraries have been approached by federal, state and localofficials with subpoenas and informal requests for info dozensof times. (Keep in mind, the feds sometimes work through localofficials to make these requests.)There were 137 formal requests or demands for informationin [the survey's] time, 49 from federal officials and theremainder from state or local investigators.</p><p> Federal officialshave sometimes used local investigators on joint terrorismtask forces to conduct library inquiries.In addition, the survey found that 66 libraries hadreceived informal law enforcement requests withoutan official legal order, including 24 federal requests.Association officials said the survey results, ifextrapolated from the 500 public libraries thatresponded, would amount to a total of some 600formal inquires since 2001....Ms.</p><p> Sheketoff at the library association acknowledgedthat critics of the study may accuse the group ofhaving a stake in the outcome of the Patriot Actdebate. "Sure, we have a dog in this fight, but theother side has been mocking us for four years overour 'baseless hysteria,' and saying we have no reasonto be concerned," she said. "Well, these findings saythat we do have reason to be concerned."Now keep in mind, if the Feds have a hot clue, in the past they couldand have gotten a warrant to obtain info to catch criminals orterrorists. (That's how they busted the Unabomber and the ZodiacKiller.) So why this need for broad, unlimited totalitarian-like powerswithout the checks and balance of a judge?Thanks Bush for turning libraries into symbols of fear where thegovernment watches your every move and high school students doingsome research could become the target of a probe.</p><p> Reading isDangerous.</p><p> Knowledge is Weakness.</p><p> Hello Big Brother.</p><p> Crooks and Liars-Eschaton- AMERICAblog Gay-Daily Kos-Firedoglake-J O H N ' S P H OT O S Show AllA M E R I C A B L O G T V In honor of SenatorDeMint For the GOPers, healthcare is politics.</p><p> They just Traditional media has todebunk the birthers One small step...Next 6AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Big Br...http://www.americablog.com/2005/06/big-brother-is-watching-... 1 of 57/23/09 1:00 AMVisit our AMERICAblog TV site.see all 322 videos >I collect with vodpod The right-wing media, thevoices of the GOP, in REM - Orange CrushAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Big Br...http://www.americablog.com/2005/06/big-brother-is-watching-... 2 of 57/23/09 1:00 AMThe TreatmentObama Has a Grown-UpTalk With America(Gulp)1 hour agoEzra KleinTab Dump5 hours agoWonk RoomSen.</p><p> Byron Dorgan:The ‘Trade’ InCap-And-Trade ‘MakesNo Sense To Me’6 hours agoHealth BeatTruth Squad: WallStreet Journal HealthCare Editorial Wrong onthe Facts . . .7 hours agoDaily DoseProviders Endorse 'Payfor Value' ProposalsG AY P O L I T I C S Visit our new gay politicssection, AMERICAblog Gay.F E E D S Blog RSS AMERICAblog TV RSS Twitter RSSTwitter Feed Get the blog by email: Subscribe me! Top AdAdvertise in this spot.H E A LT H C A R ER E F O R MAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Big Br...http://www.americablog.com/2005/06/big-brother-is-watching-... 3 of 57/23/09 1:00 AMS E A R C H AMERICAblog Web SearchS E N D U S T I P S &C O M M E N T Samericablog@starpower.netB L O G A R C H I V E Blog ArchiveS I T E S W E L I K EAir America RadioAlan Colmes' blogAri Melber (The Nation)Ben SmithBicycleMark's blog &podcastBilericoBradBlogBring It OnCarrie FisherCrooks and LiarsDailyKosDan Savage's "Slog"Daou ReportDemocratic UndergroundEschatonEzra KleinFire Dog LakeFiveThirtyEight.comFreeway BloggerThe Gavel (SpeakerPelosi's blog)Good As YouGlenn GreenwaldHoly Bullies and HeadlessMonstersHuffington PostHullabaloo (Digby)Jack and Jill PoliticsJed ReportJesus' GeneralKenneth in the 212Margaret and HelenMatthew GrossMedia MattersMike Signorile's "The Gist"MudflatsMyDDOpen LeftPlum LinePolitical Punch (JakeTapper)Political WirePolitics 1Pop SurfingProgressive Blog DigestQueers UnitedRawStoryRex WocknerRude PunditSmirking ChimpTalk LeftTappedTaylor MarshThink ProgressTowleRoadVetVoice.comWashington NoteWayneBesen.comWonketteWorth Repeating N E W S L I N K SUSWashington PostNYTAP PoliticsReuters PoliticsRasmussen PollsTimeNewsweekRoll CallThe HillABCNews P L E A S E S U P P O RTA M E R I C A B L O GOne-time donation$ Recurring monthlydonation$ Donations are nottax-deductible.L A B E L S Select a labelL A S T 1 0 0 V I S I T O R SRecent Visitors A B O U TA M E R I C A B L O GWhy AMERICAblog?Because a great nationdeserves the truth.What issues do youcover?US politics overall with aparticular focus on theObama Administration, theradical right, and civilrights.Who are you?John AravosisEditorWashington, DCJoe SudbayDeputy EditorWashington, DCChris RyanAssociate EditorParis, FranceRobert ArenaContributing EditorBaltimore, MarylandJacki SchechnerContributing EditorWashington, DCAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Big Br...http://www.americablog.com/2005/06/big-brother-is-watching-... 4 of 57/23/09 1:00 AM© 2009 - John Aravosis | Design maintenance by Jason RosenbaumSend me your tips: americablog@starpower.netAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Big Br...http://www.americablog.com/2005/06/big-brother-is-watching-... 5 of 57/23/09 1:00 AM
