I’m giving a talk partially on the PATRIOT Act this week so forgive me if I’m a bit free and easy with these links. Apparently the US Government has started a website called Life and Liberty whose main purpose appears to be to defend the PATRIOT Act, slam the ACLU and — I am not kidding — talk trash about liberals. This will be my response to library patrons who ask why their tax dollars are going to books like Daddy’s Roomate… because my tax dollars go to crap like this. [unpatrioticact lj]
Category: usapa
happy birthday to youuuuuuu
Crap. I forgot the PATRIOT Act’s birthday. In celebration, the Bill of Rights Defense Committee has sponsored a “Rename the PATRIOT Act” contest. Here are the winners.
from the other side
Some quotes taken out of context to attempt to strengthen the right’s argument against librarians who oppose the PATRIOT Act. Barbara Boxer, for instance, is quoted as saying the PATRIOT Act was a “good balance” but omits that she was one of the Senators responsible for introducing the Library and Bookseller Protection Act this past Summer. [thanks michael]
yay, I’m famous!!
shop til you go to jail
Maybe the way they can get people to really care about the USA PATRIOT Act is to say that it’s going to affect how we shop?
Mr. Bevis, of Arundel books, said his online book buyers continue to gravitate to less controversial titles – no matter his promises of privacy. But shoppers at his Seattle store – many of whom work at a nearby federal office building – continue to buy books that in some cases might be construed as inflammatory. “But nowadays,” he said, “everybody I know who’s a federal employee is paying cash.” [NYT, lisnews]