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New Bill Would Repeal Patriot Act
schwit1 points out a new piece of bipartisan legislation that aims to repeal the Patriot Act and the FISA Amendments Act, which the NSA has used to justify broad domestic surveillance. House Representatives Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Mark Pocan (D-WI) introduced the bill yesterday, calling it the Surveillance State Repeal Act (PDF). Pocan said, "This isn't just tinkering around the edges. This is a meaningful overhaul of the system, getting rid of essentially all parameters of the Patriot Act." The bill also attempts to dramatically strengthen whistleblower protections, so situations like Edward Snowden's and Thomas Drake's don't happen in the future. This legislation is not expected to get the support of Congressional leaders, but supporters hope it will at least inspire some debate about several provisions of the Patriot Act coming up for renewal in June.
Which is pathetic, because this seems to be a genuine attempt to rein in an out of control spying apparatus.
But, apparently far too many people are still thinking "well, I don't care what they have to do as long as we're safe" -- in fact, I've been told that by people.
Unfortunately, these people just think that this crap is actually keeping them safe, and utterly fail to understand the ways in which it undermines their rights.
I find it worrying that a lot of people are willing to give carte blanche to something they haven't stopped to consider what it actually means.
The world seems to be filled with too much stupid to realize what we've done, and why it needs to be undone.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
Seriously, if there was ever a time the slashdot effect was needed, it's now.
Apathy towards the workings of our government are what allowed the Patriot Act to last this long, I hope that same apathy can be counted on to keep the "whatever to keep us safe!" crowd from fighting its repeal.
I suspect that for most people it is not even a matter of 'I don't care as long a I am safe', but of 'if I do not vote to keep my representative in place, one from the OTHER side might get the seat!', so most just get reelected over and over no matter what they do.