Repeal the Damn Patriot Act White House Petition

[Anymouse]

This ought to be an issue we ask of any candidate.

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/repeal-whole-or-part-usa-patriot-act-order-stop-secret-warrantless-collection-data/pmTnXNw8

(I can't make the link button work so you get the whole raw link)

A person on the Progressive forum Daily Kos has started a petition to repeal in whole (or at least part) the Patriot Act concerning warrantless wiretapping, in light of all the interesting revelations of the NSA in the last couple days.

This is not a Progressive or Conservative issue. It is a civil liberties issue.

(In light of abuses of the White House petition system, the White House has raised the threshold for petitions to 100,000 signatures: this one needs about 98,000 more before July 6.)

To sign this (or any active petition) one must sign in or create an account at the White House petition site.

James, in Wyobraska.

“Can you hear me now” takes on a whole new meaning. . . .”

[brooklynite]

1. But they can't hear me now...

...because the policy doesn't apply to the content of messages. It only applies to the destination and duration.

[Anymouse]

2. So says the secret FISA court . . .

. . . that holds secret hearings and issues secret subpoenas and rulings and only issues information in secret to select Congress critters.

And any company that receives such a subpoena is legally barred from speaking of them - it is only from a brave librarian in Connecticut that we even know they exist, and the American Library Association.

So if Microsoft, Apple, Verizon, Democratic Underground, or any other group received such a subpoena, do you think they would reveal it?

[brooklynite]

5. In which case you shouldn't worry about the NSA policy...

...because in your view, they're doing whatever they want whether the policy exists or not.

[Anymouse]

3. Did you accidentally click on a link to AlJazeera?

Or maybe clicked on links to the Occupy movement? Perhaps one of Anonymous's Websites? Send an E-mail to Russia or Egypt? Receive one from there (even junk E-mail)?

Do you have anything to fear from a secretive organisation like NSA only having the routing information of your Web requests and telephone numbers and such, with no context (that might be even worse than having the whole damn E-mail)?

If you don't care about it because you have nothing to hide, I remember the days in the USA when you had to sign for your mail if it came from a Communist country - because I was an avid shortwave listener I had to do so quite frequently.

I wonder if my actions as a thirteen-year-old had any effect on my security clearance when I joined the military five years later? I could not do the job I wanted to in the US Navy because I could not pass a background check. Small-town boy from Central Michigan whose father was killed in Vietnam when he was seven. Didn't even have a television. (Still don't.) What could I have possibly done that was subversive, other than get on the FBI's surveillance list?

[Socal31]

4. You don't really believe that is all they have, right?

So the gigantic Utah data center that is under construction is a tin-hat conspiracy?

[Rosa Luxemburg]

6. This petition should be directed at Congress (lawmakers)

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

9. Thank you!!!!!!

[davidpdx]

10. A very good point

Congress passed the Patriot Act, not Obama.

[mgcgulfcoast]

7. i agree with you

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

8. The White House doesn't "repeal". Only the Congress repeals laws!! Target Congress

STOP BLAMING THE PRESIDENT FIRST!!!

Go after Congress!!!

[AzDar]

11. K & R

[Anymouse]

12. The President does not repeal, true . . .

. . . but he did re-authorise it.
The point of the White House Website is to "put a finger on the pulse of the public" and give the President ideas about issues he should be supporting or opposing.

Of course, NSA is scooping up those routing headers too.

[Rosco T.]

13. Wrong..

The House and Senate reauthorized it.