Today’s New York Times carries a piece whose opening paragraph will suffice as a summary of the article:
“WASHINGTON, July 20 — A report by internal investigators at the Justice Department has identified dozens of recent cases in which department employees have been accused of serious civil rights and civil liberties violations involving enforcement of the sweeping federal antiterrorism law known as the USA Patriot Act.”
Today’s New York Times carries a piece whose opening paragraph will suffice as a summary of the article:
“WASHINGTON, July 20 — A report by internal investigators at the Justice Department has identified dozens of recent cases in which department employees have been accused of serious civil rights and civil liberties violations involving enforcement of the sweeping federal antiterrorism law known as the USA Patriot Act.”
It appears that our fears about this law and its administration were realized almost immediately after its passage. Officials of our government have been quick to claim that there have been no significant violations of individual or group rights; perhaps they will dismiss this latest information as well, or claim that, since the violations were caught by the agency itself, that the situation is well in hand.
It is too late to put the cork back in this particular bottle; what remains is an accounting of damage done and a rescinding of the harsher elements of this onerous law, which gives undue license for government abuse and intrusions which are irremediable in their aftermath.
The true victim here is the trust of the people and their faith that fair laws can be enacted and enforced fairly. Especially in terms of the library, the Patriot Act is a standard which abandons fairness and the tradition of our laws from the start. In enacting this measure our government has ignored the most fundamental of our rights: to be left alone.
Michael McGrorty
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