Patriot Act, the monster from ‘Ground Zero’

9/11  replaced the ‘day of infamy’ as the nation’s call to arms. We didn’t just hear about it on the news, we watched in horror and sadness as the events unfolded. The planes crashed into the towers, the pentagon, and a field in PA, the towers crashed as hundreds of rescue workers were inside and we knew the world had changed.

I  was comfortable as the government responded with the Patriot Act and the Office of Homeland Security under the Republicans. I was willing to give the government great latitude to listen in on, track, surveil, detain, etc., our terrorist enemies. I trusted that the my definition and the governments definition of terrorism would be the same. Sadly, tragically, that’s not at all certain!

OBAMA ADMIN SEEKS TO EXPAND WIRETAPS ON INTERNET...

Wiretapped phones, now Internet?

To better track criminals, U.S. wants to be able to wiretap online communications.

By CHARLIE SAVAGE, New York Times

Last update: September 26, 2010 - 11:08 PM

WASHINGTON - Federal law enforcement and national security officials are preparing to seek sweeping new regulations of the Internet, arguing that their ability to wiretap criminal and terrorism suspects is "going dark" as people increasingly communicate online instead of by telephone

 

FBI searches Midwest homes

By Ahndi Fridell Ahndi Fridell – Fri Sep 24, 4:22 pm ET

MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) – FBI agents searched eight homes in Chicago and Minnesota on Friday as part of an investigation the law enforcement agency said related to "the material support of terrorism."

Targets of the searches accused the government of harassing anti-war protesters.

The investigation "concerns material support of terrorism but there is no imminent threat to the (U.S.) community," FBI spokesman Steve Warfield said.

No arrests were made related to the raids, FBI spokesmen in Minneapolis and Chicago said.

"We are interviewing people in other places in the country," Warfield added, without specifying where.

The FBI did not release the names of the targets and said the search warrants were under seal.

Minneapolis peace activist Mick Kelly's apartment was searched, and agents confiscated computer hard drives, his cell phone, writings, and his passport, Kelly and his lawyer said.