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ACLU Joins Fight Against Internet Surveillance
aychamo writes "The American Civil Liberties Union today joined an expanding group of organizations filing lawsuits against a new rule that increases the FBI's power to conduct surveillance on the Internet. The rule being challenged is one the Federal Communications Commission adopted in September, granting an FBI request to expand wiretapping authority to online communications.he ACLU charged in a petition to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that the ruling goes beyond the authority of CALEA, which specifically exempted information services. "The ACLU seeks review of the CALEA order on the grounds that it exceeds the FCC's statutory authority and is arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, unsupported by substantial evidence, or otherwise contrary to law," the organization charged in its petition."
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The more power we give the government to invade our lives, the more they'll use it.
What do you mean "will use it"? Ever been to the US since september 11, 2001?
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
In the past century, governments have racke dup 180,000,000 deaths.
Trusting a government with health care is strange. Trusting the government with killing is simply a matter of recognizing a core competency.
No.. most of their stuff does not. Just most of the stuff that jokers like O'Reilly and Limbaugh like to focus on.
Almost all of their cases are about protecting the civil rights of the individual against the "man". You don't hear about most of those, because Fox News won't highlight them.
"I have as much authority as the pope, I just
don't have as many people who believe it" - George Carlin
You're kidding right? I hope so, but just in case:
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,
the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed."
Let me break it down:
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,"
Basically says, that any country (state, etc) to remain FREE must have a well maintained army (militia).. Ok... Now with that out of the way
"the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed."
Means that, just because we have a military, doesn't mean we're safe, so thereofre the right of "the people", that's us, the average person, will not be infringed. Why? Because the Brittish just tried to take our guns away so we couldn't win the war. We wouldn't give them up, and fought back.
Without guns, we could not stand up against our government.
The 2nd Amendment is actually quite simple. If you just read it. This is why they use "the people" in the Second Amendment, to mean everyday people.. you and me... just like they used in the First, Fourth, Ninth, and Tenth Amendment too!
Or maybe the right to free speech was only really meant for government officials?
www.slightlycrewed.com - Because aren't we all?
seriously, some people don't get it. When the ACLU defends the KKK holding a protest march, they aren't agreeing with the KKK.. they are defending their right to march.
This makes the ACLU even more noble, in my opinion. The ability to defend a person or group that you loathe with every fiber of your being (at sometimes considerable monetary and PR expense to yourself), just to uphold a higher ideal, is downright saint-like.
Some people think it's about "defending the KKK" or "blocking harmless nativity scenes on public buildings" or "keeping the 10 commandments out of courtrooms". It is not... and the failure of a person to "get" the point says more about them than the ACLU.
"defending the KKK's right to protest" is about defending your right to espouse an unpopular idea.
"taking nativity scenes off of the government property" is about defending your right to not have your government endorse a particular religious viewpoint.
"taking the 10 commandments out of the courtroom" is about defending your right to not be pre-judged, even subliminally, because you don't share the religious beliefs of the people who will decide your fate.
"fighting against Intelligent Design in the classroom" is about defending your right, and your childrens' rights, to not be religiously indoctrinated by the state.
The ACLU will defend your civil rights, no matter how loathesome you or your viewpoints are. That makes them noble. Those that can't see that are too simple to get it.
"I have as much authority as the pope, I just
don't have as many people who believe it" - George Carlin