Slashdot Mirror
Three Lawmakers Ask For Enforcement Against Leak Sites
eldavojohn writes "You may recall the TSA demonstrating how tech-savvy it is by releasing a document with redactions intact. Now three Republican lawmakers are asking what's being done to prosecute those hosting the document (e.g. Cryptome and Wikileaks). In a letter to the DHS (PDF), Charles Dent (R-PA), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), and Peter T. King (R-NY) asked, 'How has [sic] the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration addressed the repeated reposting of this security manual to other websites, and what legal action, if any, can be taken to compel its removal?' And they asked if the DHS is 'considering issuing new regulations pursuant to its authority in Section 114 of Title 49, United States Code, and are criminal penalties necessary or desirable to ensure such information is not reposted in the future?' King is the representative who announcing a probe into Wikileaks after the half million 9/11 pager messages were released."
"The real meaning of enlightenment is to gaze with undimmed eyes on all darkness." ~ Nikos Kazantzaki
Of course, this is not what the people responsible for it wish to happen.
Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
The press is allowed to post anything newsworthy, no matter how the information got into their hands, even if it was acquired via illegal actions. So long as the press organization and it's agents have not done anything illegal to get it.
Think about it this way though. Now we have the names of 3 lawmakers of which to start probing into their private lives INTENSELY.
This certainly applies to them:
Methinks thou dost protest too much.
Since your high school civics classes obviously forgot to include it in your course of study, please allow me to introduce you to the First Amendment
They also forgot the exceptions to the First Amendment, because constitutional law is complex and has no place in a high school classroom with children that still believe that there are no losers, everything is sunshine and kittens, and basic language skills consist of "hey dood wut up? u wana cut skool n go smoke sum pot?"
Times of War.The Supreme Court has upheld on numerous occasions restrictions to speech that center around the military, particularily during times of war. It's become a clear precident that the protections afforded by the First Amendment can (and are) overlooked during wartime. There's also the "Clear and present danger" restrictions, made famous by saying free speech doesn't apply to someone yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theatre. The Supreme Court has stated that the states could punish people who's words "by their very nature, involve danger to the public peace and to the security of the state."
Obscenity/Sex If I say "Fuck you!" -- that's obscenity. If I say "Fuck the military," then it's a political statement. If I fuck you and record it, that's pornography. If I fuck you while dressed like Lady Liberty, and you're dressed like Justice, then it has "artistic merit" and is free speech. Unfortunately, like my analogies, the laws covering obscenity and sex are equally obtuse, poorly-worded, and occasionally humorous.
Slander and Libel. I say you're a child molester. You say "bullshit!" I can't prove it. I'm not protected because I made a false statement about your character, and you're not protected because you swore at me for doing so. ...
And the list goes on.
#fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
Amen to that!
I have sworn off airports.
I love to fly. Airplanes are just cool. going from Chicago to Denver in 3 hours is great.
I will not, however, put up with the bullshit that goes on in airports and with airlines.
We are no safer than we were 10 years ago.
That time and date printed on your ticket? Well it doesn't mean anything. you bought a ticket that said you would be in North Carolina thursday night? Well, not this thursday, the conecting flight has been delayed. Yeah, the plane isn't ready to fly. How long have we known? We found out 6 hours before you got on your first flight. We will TRY to get you out of here tomorrow. In the meantime here is a voucher for a "free" sandwich, now go sit down.
The next year I drove. Less time, 10 hours vs. 16. Less money, $300 in gas vs. $700 in air fare. Less hassel, I can bring nail clippers and a bottle of water in the car.
-- Sig under construction...
Because the US cares about borders and others countries laws.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
I just read through all TSA security manuals and don't find anything about this road being dangerous.
I read the TSA manual. I didn't see anything that was particularly dangerous. Most of it SOP for anybody involved in the security (public or private) business.
I would wager that they are more worried about embarrassment than security. The part of the document that stuck out in my mind was the list of exemptions from enhanced security screenings. Your friendly local Congress-critter need not worry about dealing with security in the same manner as us mere plebs. All he or she has to do if selected for the enhanced screening is show a Congressional ID and the TSA folks are supposed to fold like a cheap suit. So much for all citizens being equal under the law.
Another thing I could find to bitch about is the practice at certain airports of giving first class passengers their own special queue to the security checkpoint. How is it that the Government tolerates this practice when it's our tax dollars funding the security system? TSA's answer on this is cute too, "We aren't in charge of the line, the airport is". Nice little cop out, isn't it?
All animals are equal but some are more equal than others.
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.