Friday, July 02, 2004
Freedom to Read Act Needs Support
Below is an email from Left Bank Books in St Louis, MO regarding Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act. "Section 215 has created a dangerous chilling effect on First Amendment rights by giving the FBI the power to secretly search the bookstore and library records of anyone it believes may have information relevant to a foreign intelligence investigation."
The language of the act makes it illegal for a bookseller to deny the FBI access to store and customer records regarding book purchases. It's a dangerous door to have open regarding privacy issues and freedom to read and have access to ideas.
If you agree with this letter, please contact your congressperson and pass on the info below to others.
From Left Bank:
July 1, 2004
We have just learned that the U.S. House of Representatives will vote next week on an amendment that cuts off Justice Department funding for searches of bookstore and library records under Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act. Congressman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will offer a Freedom to Read Amendment to the Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations Bill of 2005. The amendment is co-sponsored by Ron Paul (R-TX), John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Jerry Nadler (D-NY).
The prospects for victory appear good. Last year, over 300 House members voted to bar the Justice Department from using its appropriation to implement another controversial provision of the PATRIOT Act, "sneak and peak" searches. Had Reprsentative Sanders not run into technical problems, he would have offered the Freedom to Read Amendment then, and it very well may have passed. But we can't win unless we generate a lot of telephone calls to House members between now and Wednesday or Thursday when the bill will be on the floor for a vote. It doesn't help matters that we have less than a week to get out the word and that the Fourth of July weekend will shorten our time even more.
Therefore, we ask you to please call your Member of Congress' Washington office TODAY and tell whoever answers the phone that you urge the Representative to vote "yes" on "the Sanders-Paul-Conyers-Nadler Freedom to Read Amendment to the Commerce, Justice and State appropriations bill." ("CJS bill" is the Congressional shorthand for this specific appropriations bill.) Then, immediately follow up by faxing a note containing the same message on your letterhead.
If you need contact information for your Member of Congress, you can use the "Contact Congress" search aid on the Campaign for Reader Privacy Web site, www.readerprivacy.org. - or - you can go directly to the US House of Representatives website - http://www.house.gov/writerep/ - and, after you enter your address and zip code; you can send an electronic message to your Member of Congress.
Section 215 has created a dangerous chilling effect on First Amendment rights by giving the FBI the power to secretly search the bookstore and library records of anyone it believes may have information relevant to a foreign intelligence investigation. In March 2003, Sanders introduced the Freedom to Read Protection Act (H.R. 1157) to restore the protections for customer privacy eliminated by the Patriot Act. The bill has gained wide support and is co-sponsored by 145 House members in both parties. More detailed information about all this is available at www.readerprivacy.org Unfortunately, the House leadership is refusing to hold a hearing on H.R.1157. The Freedom to Read Amendment will give supporters of the bill an opportunity to achieve its purpose through the appropriations process.
Please help us spread the word about the importance of calling Congress today! Feel free to forward this memo or to use any part of it.
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The language of the act makes it illegal for a bookseller to deny the FBI access to store and customer records regarding book purchases. It's a dangerous door to have open regarding privacy issues and freedom to read and have access to ideas.
If you agree with this letter, please contact your congressperson and pass on the info below to others.
From Left Bank:
July 1, 2004
We have just learned that the U.S. House of Representatives will vote next week on an amendment that cuts off Justice Department funding for searches of bookstore and library records under Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act. Congressman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will offer a Freedom to Read Amendment to the Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations Bill of 2005. The amendment is co-sponsored by Ron Paul (R-TX), John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Jerry Nadler (D-NY).
The prospects for victory appear good. Last year, over 300 House members voted to bar the Justice Department from using its appropriation to implement another controversial provision of the PATRIOT Act, "sneak and peak" searches. Had Reprsentative Sanders not run into technical problems, he would have offered the Freedom to Read Amendment then, and it very well may have passed. But we can't win unless we generate a lot of telephone calls to House members between now and Wednesday or Thursday when the bill will be on the floor for a vote. It doesn't help matters that we have less than a week to get out the word and that the Fourth of July weekend will shorten our time even more.
Therefore, we ask you to please call your Member of Congress' Washington office TODAY and tell whoever answers the phone that you urge the Representative to vote "yes" on "the Sanders-Paul-Conyers-Nadler Freedom to Read Amendment to the Commerce, Justice and State appropriations bill." ("CJS bill" is the Congressional shorthand for this specific appropriations bill.) Then, immediately follow up by faxing a note containing the same message on your letterhead.
If you need contact information for your Member of Congress, you can use the "Contact Congress" search aid on the Campaign for Reader Privacy Web site, www.readerprivacy.org. - or - you can go directly to the US House of Representatives website - http://www.house.gov/writerep/ - and, after you enter your address and zip code; you can send an electronic message to your Member of Congress.
Section 215 has created a dangerous chilling effect on First Amendment rights by giving the FBI the power to secretly search the bookstore and library records of anyone it believes may have information relevant to a foreign intelligence investigation. In March 2003, Sanders introduced the Freedom to Read Protection Act (H.R. 1157) to restore the protections for customer privacy eliminated by the Patriot Act. The bill has gained wide support and is co-sponsored by 145 House members in both parties. More detailed information about all this is available at www.readerprivacy.org Unfortunately, the House leadership is refusing to hold a hearing on H.R.1157. The Freedom to Read Amendment will give supporters of the bill an opportunity to achieve its purpose through the appropriations process.
Please help us spread the word about the importance of calling Congress today! Feel free to forward this memo or to use any part of it.
