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- G e n d e r G a p p e r s T M
TRUE PATRIOT ACTS
| There have been
many heroes in this continuous war against terrorism. Certainly
the fire, police and rescue squads in every town and the military all over
the world are well known and acknowledged.
However one seldom hears of the bravery and valor of many of our librarians who have formed a phalanx of protection for us against a ruthless and unprincipled Department of Justice. There are more horror stories emerging all the time as a result of the so-called Patriot Act -- an attack on the Constitution that will live in infamy. The odds that you might be summarily arrested and detained have increased greatly. Police-State Chief Ashcroft has encouraged Americans to spy on their neighbors and report anything they see as suspicious. FBI may move in and make arrests based on such a report. So, how do librarians come into this? They take their job seriously as caretakers of all information and its free dispersal. Simply stated, they are defying Ashcroft and standing firm in defense of our Constitutional rights. When the Pat Act ordered them to turn over the records of their patrons without due process, they destroyed those records. They also warn patrons with signs around the library that the D.O.J. may demand to see what books they are reading. Acting in defiance of Ascroft certainly counts as a true example of patriotism and bravery. At first glance what librarians do may not sound like much, but consider this scenario that is repeated across the country. One of Ashcroft's zealots sees you sitting with a couple of Muslims in a restaurant or has a grudge against you. Z reports it and the FBI starts checking you out. One of the places they check is the library or libraries where they can obtain records of all the books you have taken out during your life. These may be books you took out for school assignments or for personal interest. If they find book titles that to them are suggestive of your interest in terrorism or if there are books that are critical of the present administration, they would be used to support continued investigation and possibly arrest. If you are arrested no one will know. You just disappear until they decide to let you go and stalk you, or collect more evidence to prosecute you. You also may be harassed under the Pat Act just for voicing disagreement with the Bush administration. Sara Paretsky: Speech, Silence and Patriotism http://truthout.org/docs_03/092303D.shtml The filthy tricks used by this administration to stifle any free expression is also in the news now as evidence shows that the White House outed a CIA agent. According to the law, this is a felony but as of now, the White House has denied it leaked the identity of the wife of former Ambassador Joseph Wilson as several reporters claim. One, Robert Novak, named her as a CIA agent. Wilson had publicly disputed the claim made by the administration that Saddam tried to buy uranium from Africa to make nuclear weapons. He was punished for this with the release of his wife's name and occupation. We cannot know how many others have been coerced into silence. Dissent is not tolerated by this Republican administration. They have intimidated many by calling all dissent unpatriotic. When that fails, they resort to payback as in the Wilson case.
Terrorism is certainly terrible but it is even more so when the terrorists are part of your own government. It must not continue. "A moment will come on January 20th,
2005. It will be cold in Washington D.C. A man
who is not George W. Bush will raise his hand and swear and oath to preserve,
protect and defend the United States of America. The words 'So help me
God' will be snatched by the wind and carried across seas and mountains
to the furthest corners of the planet. When that happens, all of the Earth
will be joined together in the deepest and most profound exhalation of
relief. When that happens, George W. Bush will have become in
his absence what he completely failed to be with his presence: A uniter."
2003-040 Copyright 2003 Renee T. Louise and Ruth M. Sprague, Ph.D. These articles may be republished for noncommercial use only, provided that they are copied intact, and that this copyright notice is attached. Address all queries to: twanda@sover.net. |
Because
of the courage of those librarians who have and are committing true patriot
acts, many Americans have been saved from the horror of a vindictive government.