More than 170 communities in 30 states have passed resolutions opposing provisions of the PATRIOT Act and other government actions that threaten civil liberties. Three states -- Vermont, Hawaii and Alaska -- have likewise passed statewide resolutions. Last month the House voted overwhelmingly -- by 309 to 118 -- to limit the PATRIOT Act provision that allows government agents to conduct ""black bag"" searches of homes and never let the individual know that the search occurred.
These actions demonstrate the strong concern about the PATRIOT Act and the need to correct its most dangerous provisions. The Senate however has yet to take action to correct the PATRIOT Act's flaws. It is time for the Senate to take real and concerted steps to correct the PATRIOT Act.
Take Action! Urge your Senators to fix the PATRIOT Act.
The PATRIOT Act needs to be corrected.
Under the PATRIOT Act, the government can collect information about the books you read, your purchases and your personal finances. With only the most minimal judicial review, government agents can now obtain many types of your personal records -- educational, medical, financial, sales, library and others -- even if they have no probable cause of a crime.
Law-abiding people should be protected from government snooping.
A hallmark of American democracy has long been that our individual privacy is protected against government intervention and snooping as long as we are not guilty of wrongdoing. ""Black bag"" searches -- now allowed thanks to the PATRIOT Act -- should not be permitted to continue.
The Senate should take real steps toward fixing the PATRIOT Act.
New legislation would help ameliorate many of the most controversial provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act, such as the use of ""sneak and peek"" warrants and secret searches of library records. A fix to the PATRIOT Act's "sneak and peek" provision has already passed in the House - it is now the Senate's turn to take action.
TAKE ACTION!