Who Needs Rights Anyway?

November 8, 2005

By Ken Schram

SEATTLE - I bet I know what you're thinking.

You're thinking: "What has my government done for me lately?"

Well, I can tell you: You're government has been doing a lot.

It's been diligently checking out what you've been up to at the public library.

It's been peeking over your shoulder at all those Internet sites you visit.

How do I know this?

The FBI.

Yep. The FBI has been very, very busy.

Under the Patriot Act, each year the FBI issues more than 30,000 National Security Letters.

That's 30,000 opportunities for the FBI to have read your e-mail; 30,000 chances that they've checked out your phone records.

30,000 times a year, the FBI is nosing around in the private lives of people like you, me, our kids, our friends or our neighbors.

All an FBI agent's gotta do to get one of those National Security Letters is hit up some FBI supervisor and they are good to go.

Good to go snooping in some student's university records.

Good to go peeking through some electronic keyhole at the private lives of American citizens.

Now, normally, I'd be concerned about all this, but the president told me not to worry about it.

He says giving up our rights will keep us safe from terrorists.

Don't you want to be safe?

I know what you're thinking now.

You're thinking: "How proud I am of my government."

posted by Stash @ 2:25 PM