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Librarian Stands up to the Feds
Anonymous Coward writes "A librarian at Brandeis University forced the FBI to obtain a warrant to seize computers used to send threats. From the article: 'Federal Bureau of Investigation agents tried to seize 30 of the library's computers without a warrant, saying someone had used the library's Internet connection to send the threat to Brandeis. But the library director, Kathy Glick-Weil, told the agents they could not take the machines unless they got a warrant first. Newton's mayor, David Cohen, backed Ms. Glick-Weil up. After a brief standoff, FBI officials relented and sought a warrant from a judge.'"
Did the FBI find a judge willing to let them do this? If so, why aren't we hearing who that was, so we can drop the judge a note and express our opinion of how well he's holding up his end of the deal..
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
I'm glad to see that there is someone other than me who would of told the FBI to fuck off, get a warrant. Of course, now that I've said this I'll probably be considered a terrorist.
"I bow to no man" - Riddick
Her grand moral stand was to resist a criminal investigation. The agents knew they had cause. The judge agreed and awarded the warrant. She is being lauded for impeding an investigation and protecting the guilty.
I would say[1] that if one is not "well off enough" to be a decent parent for one's children, one oughtn't have a child. I would say that's an effective solution to the kidnapping problem.[2]
[1] While I consider myself libertarian (I check the Libertarian box on my voter registration form), my views may not accurately represent the views of the Libertarian party.
[2] I realize that kids can get out of hand and that parents may have extenuating circumstances (so take my comment as a moderate eggageration, if it makes you feel better). The GP seemed to've been justifying lax parenting with poverty, and that doesn't fly with me.
On one hand, it's the government and command structure that's setting the policy, so it's unfair to hate the grunts for "just following orders." On the other hand, though, those grunts chose to swear an oath to uphold that same policy, so it's hard to argue that they don't agree with it themselves. Besides, if they really did disagree, they could always get themselves a dishonorable discharge (although I realize that's a hard choice to make).
I guess the proper position is ambivalance -- don't call the troops "monsters with guns," but don't be so gung-ho with patriotism that you support the policies they're enforcing, either.
Incidentally, those people who say "if you don't support the troosps [and the policies they enforce] you must hate America!!!" are themselves the most un-American, intolerant fascists possible, because opposing tyranny and promoting the free exchange of ideas are the core of what it means to be American.
"[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz
listening to someone with no kids tell me how to raise them? Well thats like someone with no penis telling me how to wash my scrotum. You are a troll. A troll with a subscription, but still a troll.
You steal my money via taxation to pay for your responsibilities, I should be able to tell you how to raise them. In fact, it is my money, so I want cameras in your home to see how you're spending my money.
That isn't trolling, that's requesting accountability for what you're taking from me against my will. I wouldn't give money to people that I knew were unable to spend that money wisely. Why should I give you money without telling you the requirements I have before giving it to you?
Listen up folks, this hate of our own country is going to end up getting a lot of people killed just to stroke some moonbat egos.
The FBI in this case was tracking a bomb threat. Ok, THIS time it turned out to only be a crank emailing in a threat. But next time it might be for real. And although the article doesn't make it clear I suspect that the building was probably still being swept when the agents descended on that library. Meaning it was a realtime threat. And notice that they had no problem getting a warrant, they simply wanted to get on the trail of the crackpot before it got too cold.
The problem is that librarians, as a group, are a core moonbat constituitency group. I'm serious, I work in the library world. I attended the Texas Library Association's convention in 2004. Ralph Nader was their keynote speaker and gave a straight up campaign speech to standing ovations. And since this incident happened in MA they happened to have a moonbat for a mayor. So they all felt real good, sticking it to the 'man', those minions of the hated Bushitler. And nothing went boom so they think they got away with it along with almost everyone here on slashdot, DailyKos, DU, etc. But to quote Lt. Cmdr Ivanova, "No boom today. Boom tomorrow. There's always a Boom tomorrow."
Since I work IT in a library I have given a fair amount of thought to how I'd handle a request of that sort. My current plan would be to reason with the agent in charge thus:
1. I'm bound by State Law to protect all patron records. So barring a warrant you can't have them without a fight.
2. You will not use force against a librarian so don't try to bluff.
3. This site is a proper UNIX installation. (Linux actually but hey, field agents usually aren't THAT hip.) If you know what that means you want my help because the workstation alone isn't going to be much help to you.
4. No, you may not seize our whole server rack, even WITH a warrant. We would at least force that to a hearing and you don't have time for that.
5. I will help you, provided you are willing to meet my very reasonable needs. Those are that we keep our servers so that we may remain open and that we cover our legal obligations.
6. So here is how it is going to go. One of you guys stays here to watch me, one goes and gets a warrant for "any and all information in our possession regarding the patron at X IP address at Y time" and I start pulling logs off to CD-R. The second the fax machine spits out a copy of the warrant I will not only hand over the CD, I'll hand you a printout with the guy's name and last known address already extracted out for ya along with a scan of his original application for a library card with a signature on it. That is a hell of lot more than you could get by seizing the workstation now and faster than you could have obtained it without my help.
It is possible to obey the law AND help law enforcement. But it was pretty obvious those idiots in MA were enjoying preening for the press about how they were so feeling oppressed but stood up to great evil. Bullshit.
Democrat delenda est
Kind of takes the air out of all the "nazi Amerikkka Bushitler police-state!" crap, doesn't it?
What?
This would be the equivalent to me calling the police that someone has broken into my home and then my wife not letting them in without a warrant. Brandeis University was the victim of the crime that had been committed. For and employee to not then help in anyway she could in the investigation is stupid. Had this been in any other business other than a University the woman would have been fired before they could have gotten the warrant.
Is buying a Harley Davidson as your first motorcycle since you were 16 at age 49 a midlife crisis issue?