Protest the Patriot Act!

[I like to think my original "knowmad.net" idea was an inspiration for the Tea Party movent; no delusions of Grandeur here! The original effort began in late 2003; this incarnation dates from 2006

—Pete ]

How would a REAL Patriot Act?

There have been many attempts to sway the minds of Americans and Congress about the perils of the Patriot Act as well as other digital and intellectual laws. Unfortuneately these arguments fall upon deaf ears; the objectors are often seen as small segments of society, "un-patriotic radicals" of some sort or another, while the proponents have the vast resource of media and government to refute argument.

Ironically, those charging lack of patriotism could easily be viewed as holding the same disdain for our freedoms because they are willing to dismiss blatant un-constitutional legislation for the sake of feeling safe.

Somewhere along the line we have forgotten: all of us share in the responsibility to protect true Liberty for each of us. The adoption of the Patriot Act represents the worst in reactionary government: legislation hastily passed by a congress using national tragedy to increase poll numbers. In the end those that were sworn to defend the Constitution hide behind the flag of patriotism while they undermine it.

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What is needed is a good, old fashioned, Protest

...But ...

Many who feel the same as I can't drop what they're doing at a moments notice without undue strain on their time and budgets to decry irresponsible government. Many, like me, have jobs and responsibilities that trump the cost and time for a day's protest. Even if the protest is on a free weekend, who's watching?

When you consider how the MSM ignored the "Free Speech Zones" during the Democratic and Republican conventions of 2004 it's no wonder other protests gain little attention. The problem isn't so much the inability of protesters to disseminate their concerns as it is the unwillingness of the MSM to report them.

What is needed, I reasoned, is different way to protest that is easily accessible to all. It must be visible by everyone, no matter the news source, and it should be a palpable demonstration of the Patriot Act's invasion without an obligatory concentration of people that can lead to hot tempers and violence. An Un-Censorable Protest made up of people who might share these thoughts yet believe in the power of the individual to make a difference.

What I came up with is the "Brother Sam" campaign. The Idea is simple:

If, on October 24, 2006, the fifth anniversy of when the Patriot Act was first passed, everyone opposed to the Patriot Act were to wear a Brother Sam—or anything black —Then maybe, we can let the world know that despite our differences we are still a nation of freedom, unified in our revulsion of oppressive techniques popularized by the Stasi, Saddam Hussein, or the Bush administration.



		In 1773 The Boston Tea Party, a flash mob of 150 people, converged on Boston Harbor to protest policies by King George III.

Addendum...

While my original protest didn't work out quite the way I had wanted, the NSA (among others) have been kind enough to flaunt and abuse the Constitution in full view of the public--conveniently supplying outrage. While rumors of a massive surveillance state had been floating around for some time, it wasn't until Mark Klein blew the whistle that the extent of the observation came to light.

What is particularly interesting is how these wiretaps, the Patriot Act, BCRA and the recent FBI investigation of Representitive Jefferson intersect. While the wiretaps, Patriot Act, BCRA all have been deemed Constitutional (on a strict reading of the constitution, they aren't) a legal investigation into government corruption has has not. Furthermore, there is evidence of negligent intelligence failures (of which there is ample, yet sometimes tenuous, documentation) unrelated to Patriot Act powers that put us at risk yet, despite apprehension by many congressional members, the Act was extended.

Examine the facts. Browse the net, and most importantly, find out for yourself. When you're done, I hope you'll decide you can make a difference and support repeal of the Patriot act.