Call to action to end Patriot act abuses

AN URGENT CALL TO ACTION FOR ALL AMERICANS:

-----Original Message-----
From: Michelle Richardson, ACLU [mailto:aclu@aclu.org]
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 6:06 PM
Subject: Will the House protect your privacy?
...

We've got another big chance to end Patriot Act abuses--but we have to act fast.

The Senate Judiciary Committee had the opportunity to pass legislation to rein
in a bill that has become a symbol of out-of-control government invasions of
your privacy. They failed--approving a bill that does little to curtail the
sweeping powers embedded in the Patriot Act.

That's why we must do everything we can to ensure that the House of
Representatives passes a stronger bill--one that can lead to genuine reform of
the deeply-flawed Patriot Act.

Act right now. Ask your representative to co-sponsor the USA Patriot Amendments
Act of 2009.

http://tinyurl.com/yj46u53

Three Patriot Act provisions are set to expire on December 31, 2009. We have to
seize this chance to demand that Congress put an end to the government's
unchecked spying powers and ensure that innocent Americans' private information
will remain just that--private.

The USA Patriot Amendments Act of 2009 protects constitutional speech and
privacy rights by:

* Amending the national security letter statute to ensure that the government
obtains financial, communication and credit records only of people believed to
be terrorists or spies;

* Requiring the government to convince a court that a national security gag
order is necessary;

* Terminating the "lone wolf" authority that permits the government to spy on
people who are not part of a terrorist organization; and

* Ensuring that the so-called "library records provision" does not authorize
collection of library and bookstore records if they contain information on the
patron.

As you can imagine, the bill is not perfect. It leaves the Patriot Act's
so-called "material support" provision intact, permitting prosecution of those
who work with or for charities that give humanitarian aid in good faith to
war-torn countries. We're asking Members of Congress to add a provision that
would limit prosecution to those who actually intend to support
terrorist-oriented actions.

Please ask your representative to co-sponsor the USA Patriot Amendments Act of
2009.

http://tinyurl.com/ykgvt5u

As an ACLU lobbyist, I've worked to end the dangerous ways that the Patriot Act
curtails your freedom for more than six years. I can say first-hand how much
your emails matter if we are to pass genuine Patriot Act reforms.

Thanks so much for taking action today.

Sincerely,

Michelle Richardson
Legislative Counsel
American Civil Liberties UnionAdd to Technorati Favorites