Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Domains

Domain: aclu.com

Stories and comments across the archive that link to aclu.com.

Comments · 4

  1. Contribute by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative · on Judge Strikes Down Part of Patriot Act

    The ACLU challenged this law, and hence brought about this ruling. Hopefully, they will be successful in challenging similar laws in the future.

    You benefit from their work.

    They need to eat.

    Donate.

  2. Re:The Rise & Fall of My Country by inKubus · · Score: 1 · on House Panel Approves Electronic Surveillance Bill

    What we need is mass media to be on our side, but until there is more of a profit incentive in that, I don't see it happening in the immediate (or distant for that matter) future.

    That's why I listen to NPR and give regularly to my local station.

    Also, obligatory to this story are the standard links, so people who are lazy don't have to type them in (note, you can open the link in a new window and not interrupt your slashdotting). If you got paid today, why not send $10 to:

    Electronic Frontier Foundation
    American Civil Liberties Union
    Idealist.org - Other non-profits

    Remember that as long as you only care about yourself and your recreation, the rest of the world is going to walk over you. You are here to do a job, so..do it.

  3. And the ACLU says: by cyberbian · · Score: 1 · on UK Terror Bust Caught With Wiretapping

    Excerpted from the ACLU page:

    MYTH: This is merely a "terrorist surveillance program."
    REALITY: When there is evidence a person may be a terrorist, both the criminal code and intelligence laws already authorize eavesdropping. This illegal program, however, allows electronic monitoring without any showing to a court that the person being spied upon in this country is a suspected terrorist.

    MYTH: The program is legal.
    REALITY: The program violates the Fourth Amendment and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and will chill free speech.

    MYTH: The Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) allows this.
    REALITY: The resolution about using force in Afghanistan doesn't mention wiretaps and doesn't apply domestically, but FISA does--it requires a court order.

    MYTH: The president has authority as commander in chief of the military to spy on Americans without any court oversight.
    REALITY: The Supreme Court recently found the administration's claim of unlimited commander in chief powers during war to be an unacceptable effort to "condense power into a single branch of government," contrary to the Constitution's checks and balances.

    MYTH: The president has the power to say what the law is.
    REALITY: The courts have this power under our system of government, and no person is above the law, not even the president, or the rule of law means nothing.

    MYTH: These warrantless wiretaps could never happen to you.
    REALITY: Without court oversight, there is no way to ensure innocent people's everyday communications are not monitored or catalogued by the NSA or other agencies.

    MYTH: This illegal program could have prevented the 9/11 attacks.
    REALITY: This is utter manipulation. Before 9/11, the federal government had gathered intelligence, without illegal NSA spying, about the looming attacks and at least two of the terrorists who perpetrated them, but failed to act.

    MYTH: This illegal program has saved thousands of lives.
    REALITY: Because the program is secret the administration can assert anything it wants and then claim the need for secrecy excuses its failure to document these claims, let alone reveal all the times the program distracted intelligence agents with dead ends that wasted resources and trampled individual rights.

    MYTH: FISA takes too long.
    REALITY: FISA allows wiretaps to begin immediately in emergencies, with three days afterward to go to court. Even without an emergency, FISA orders can be approved very quickly and FISA judges are available at all hours.

    MYTH: Only liberals disagree with the president about the program.
    REALITY: The serious concerns that have been raised transcend party labels and reflect genuine and widespread worries about the lack of checks on the president's claim of unlimited power to illegally spy on Americans without any independent oversight.
  4. Exactly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0 · on Using Copyright To Suppress Political Speech

    There is no political candidate who represents all, nor even most, of my personal ideals. I can choose to vote for someone who disagrees with me, or for someone else who disagrees with me.

    No matter who I vote for, my job will go overseas, my gay friends won't be able to get married, all of my entertainment will come with mandatory DRM, my privacy will be thrown out the window, my taxes will increase, and so on.

    Voting is not an effective means of bring change, whereas lobbying has historically proven to be much more effective. My personal favorite lobby is this one, but there are other good ones as well.

    $100/50