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North East Digital VillageBill of Rights Forgotten?The United States Constitution was written in 1787. Two years later - in response to the outcry of the citizens of the new country who demanded protection of their basic civil rights - the first ten amendments, known collectively as the "Bill of Rights" were added. During the few years of the Bush administration, we believe that the Bill of Rights was forgotten or forsaken for an illusion of safety and security . . . With the election of a new president, Barack Obama, we are hopeful that lost freedom will be restored and that our beloved United States will never lose sight of the founding freedoms. Have President Obama and Congress repealed the PATRIOT ACT or its most oppressive passages? Here are some opinions:
USA PATRIOT ActPLEASE READ ABOUT the USA PATRIOT Act (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism). In our humble opinion, the USA PATRIOT Act is the single most dangerous threat to our liberty and freedom. If you have not read the Act or commentary about the full ramifications of the Act, please do so. Until you have, how can you come to an informed understanding? We hope that each of you will read the Act and the commentary linked here as well as all the other sources available on the 'Net and in print. We sincerely ask that you not to take our opinion as gospel, but, rather, truly inform yourself and come to your own conclusions. We invite you to drop us a note at "About the PATRIOT Act" and tell us what you think about the USA PATRIOT Act. Thank you! Learn More About the USA PATRIOT ActOpenTheGovernment.org cite: (openthegovernment.org) In response to the 9-11 terrorist attacks, Congress passed the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act or Patriot Act), which significantly increased the surveillance, and investigative powers of law enforcement agencies. The law also reduces the system of checks and balances on law enforcement that traditionally safeguards civil liberties. Many are troubled by the shroud of secrecy the government uses to cover its operations under the expanded powers from the Patriot Act. Others have raised strong concerns that provisions of the Patriot Act will cause a chilling effect on the first amendment, reducing media reporting on government activities. [READ MORE] Now They Check the Books You Read cite: (Joan E. Bertin & ncac.org) In the post 9/11 world, there is undoubtedly a government official whose job is to invent innocuous-sounding, if not reassuring, acronyms for government initiatives against terrorism. Operation TIPS is a case in point. The Terrorism Information and Prevention System will recruit millions of utility, transportation and other workers to report on "potentially unusual or suspicious activity in public places." In other words, Operations TIPS is using private citizens to spy on each other. [READ MORE] PATRIOT ACT: The Home Version cite: (graphix4change.com) A new board game that brings the thrill of trampling the Constitution right into your home . . . just where John Ashcroft wants to be! The Home Version's a game inspired by the historic abuse of governmental powers of the same name. Many of the hypothetical situations in the game are based on real-life events. Either as a game to be played or as a statement to be read, Patriot Act: The Home Version educates the user to the current erosion of our civil rights by the government while claiming to be protecting our freedoms. The PATRIOT Act GameTHE PATRIOT ACT GAME: cite: (home.earthlink.net/%7Ethepatriotactgame/) Created in response to what is commonly known simply as "The Patriot Act". Are you: Wondering what the fuss is all about?
Confused by the hullabaloo about people being arrested, spied upon and harassed?
Interested in maintaining the integrity of the United States Bill of Rights?
Unable to peruse the 342-page Act with over a thousand minor and major changes to 15 different statutes affecting online activities, surveillance, money laundering, immigration, privacy, police powers, legal proceedings, powers of the courts to issue warrants, etc.?
Did you realize that this monumental revision of our laws was passed in only 2 days with little discussion or real understanding of the provisions?
If so, THE PATRIOT ACT GAME is designed to be a fun introduction to the Act, it's implications and actual results. Hundreds of actual cases and aspects of the law make up the game's content. The following individuals, each of whom spoke out for rights and some of whom paid the ultimate price, could have been labeled terrorists under the USA PATRIOT Act, had it been in effect in their time and country. Are they heroes or terrorists? You decide. cite: home.earthlink.net/%7Ethepatriotactgame/history.html
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