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I've pretty much ruined
any chance I ever had of getting a gov't job that might require a security clearance, I think. Appealing as the idea of an analyst or sysadmin career at the Secret Service once I get my master's might be (it'd make for great Thanksgiving conversation, if nothing else!), there are some things more important than a nebulous possibility of a career in government work, and contacting the Attorney General as part of the ACLU's most recent campaign to get people to wake the hell up is one of them.
I am writing to you regarding a matter of the greatest importance: the
need to keep our nation safe and free.
I'd like to preface this letter by saying I was in New York City on
September 11th and 12th. I'm a disaster relief worker. I was born and
raised in New York City and I saw exactly what happened on that day. I
pray to God that no one else ever has to see it. So please, keep that in
mind as you read this letter.
Like many Americans, I am *really* disturbed by the threat of terrorism.
Many of my ancestors are Northern Irish; it's the yardstick by which I
measure the unacceptability of violent solutions to political problems. I
know how dangerous, and how commonplace, it can become. HOWEVER, it means
I am also very concerned that out of our fear and a desire to act in this
time of crisis, we are sacrificing core civil liberties and rights
guaranteed by the Constitution and Bill of Rights. And, with all due
respect for the sanctity of your office, Mr. Attorney General, I am
SERIOUSLY distressed that many policies eroding our constitutional rights
emanate from that same office.
For example, I am shocked at numerous provisions of the so-called USA
PATRIOT Act-which you pushed through Congress--including those which
greatly increase government power: to conduct secret "sneak and peak"
searches, to access highly personal medical, financial, mental health and
student records (oh, great, there really IS a Permanent Record!); to
investigate American citizens for criminal matters without establishing
probable cause if they designate that the investigation is for
"intelligence purposes"; and to permit the detention, incarceration and
deportation of non-citizens based on mere suspicion.
I also strenuously oppose your decision to loosen guidelines that limited
FBI spying on religious and political organizations. I do not think FBI
agents should be following us into our houses of worship without any
evidence of wrongdoing. What if a major bombing had been carried out
against an abortion clinic by people more radical than Operation Rescue?
Would that call for the FBI to spy upon people spending unusual amounts of
time at evangelical churches? Nor do I think that the FBI should now be in
the business of spying on domestic organizations lawfully involved in
First Amendment activities.
And finally, I am truly dismayed at the decision by the President and
yourself to deny full due process and constitutional rights to American
citizens. Mr. Ashcroft, this is INCREDIBLY un-American. As Attorney
General, you are responsible for upholding--not undermining--our judicial
system: if American citizens are to be held and charged for terrorist
actions, then they should be treated as American citizens with all the
rights granted to them under the Constitution.
As you know, there have been a number of moments in our history in which
government officials limited civil liberties and rights in response to
national security concerns. Looking back on the Alien and Sedition Acts
in particular, but also the Palmer Raids, the McCarthy Era, and the
internment of Japanese-Americans, history has passed a harsh judgement on
these actions: the civil liberties of thousands of people were recklessly,
wrongly and illegally abridged.
I hope that you will have the vision and insight to stop these intrusions
that threaten our core civil liberties and rights. I believe that the
history of our great nation has proven that we can be safe and free.
Sincerely,
[Me]
I think I'm allowed to get my morning cereal and shower now.
I am writing to you regarding a matter of the greatest importance: the
need to keep our nation safe and free.
I'd like to preface this letter by saying I was in New York City on
September 11th and 12th. I'm a disaster relief worker. I was born and
raised in New York City and I saw exactly what happened on that day. I
pray to God that no one else ever has to see it. So please, keep that in
mind as you read this letter.
Like many Americans, I am *really* disturbed by the threat of terrorism.
Many of my ancestors are Northern Irish; it's the yardstick by which I
measure the unacceptability of violent solutions to political problems. I
know how dangerous, and how commonplace, it can become. HOWEVER, it means
I am also very concerned that out of our fear and a desire to act in this
time of crisis, we are sacrificing core civil liberties and rights
guaranteed by the Constitution and Bill of Rights. And, with all due
respect for the sanctity of your office, Mr. Attorney General, I am
SERIOUSLY distressed that many policies eroding our constitutional rights
emanate from that same office.
For example, I am shocked at numerous provisions of the so-called USA
PATRIOT Act-which you pushed through Congress--including those which
greatly increase government power: to conduct secret "sneak and peak"
searches, to access highly personal medical, financial, mental health and
student records (oh, great, there really IS a Permanent Record!); to
investigate American citizens for criminal matters without establishing
probable cause if they designate that the investigation is for
"intelligence purposes"; and to permit the detention, incarceration and
deportation of non-citizens based on mere suspicion.
I also strenuously oppose your decision to loosen guidelines that limited
FBI spying on religious and political organizations. I do not think FBI
agents should be following us into our houses of worship without any
evidence of wrongdoing. What if a major bombing had been carried out
against an abortion clinic by people more radical than Operation Rescue?
Would that call for the FBI to spy upon people spending unusual amounts of
time at evangelical churches? Nor do I think that the FBI should now be in
the business of spying on domestic organizations lawfully involved in
First Amendment activities.
And finally, I am truly dismayed at the decision by the President and
yourself to deny full due process and constitutional rights to American
citizens. Mr. Ashcroft, this is INCREDIBLY un-American. As Attorney
General, you are responsible for upholding--not undermining--our judicial
system: if American citizens are to be held and charged for terrorist
actions, then they should be treated as American citizens with all the
rights granted to them under the Constitution.
As you know, there have been a number of moments in our history in which
government officials limited civil liberties and rights in response to
national security concerns. Looking back on the Alien and Sedition Acts
in particular, but also the Palmer Raids, the McCarthy Era, and the
internment of Japanese-Americans, history has passed a harsh judgement on
these actions: the civil liberties of thousands of people were recklessly,
wrongly and illegally abridged.
I hope that you will have the vision and insight to stop these intrusions
that threaten our core civil liberties and rights. I believe that the
history of our great nation has proven that we can be safe and free.
Sincerely,
[Me]
I think I'm allowed to get my morning cereal and shower now.
actually...
a) are they honest
b) are they blackmailable
c) are they a known criminal
d) are there any indications of ties to foreign governments.
Trust me, most of the people in The Agencies That Shall Not be Named, the Secret Service, and DOE would be the first to say Asscrack is a loon. Would they class you as an 'oddball' or a 'weirdo'? Yeah - some of them are so straight it's not funny.. but that won't threaten the clearance
Re: actually...
Mneh.