COMMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY FEB. 24. PLEASE SEND THEM OUT ASAP! SUMMARY: DOT has published its intent to establish a Big Brother system of records and is soliciting public comments. The DOT must consider the comments it receives before finalizing its actions. These comments were a big help last time around fighting National IDs in the guise of standardized state drivers licenses. Many fewer citizens have commented on DOT's proposed data collection, however, and time and liberties are running short. Information about the system is printed below, as is a short sample letter. Feel free to write something longer, but even a short statement of your opposition to the draconian record system and a signature would be helpful. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) intends to establish a system of records which will collect information from all air travelers. DOT intends to release the information upon request to any agency "for the hiring or retention of an individual, or issuance of a security clearance, license, contract, grant, or other benefit." DOT also intends to disclose the information it collects to any "Federal, State, territorial, tribal, local, international, or foreign" agency when DOT becomes aware of any indication of any criminal or civil infraction of any "statute, rule, regulation, order, or license" by any person traveling by air. This applies even to citizens of the United States when flying within their own country. This is an outrageous assault on the Privacy Act, as well as an affront to the privacy of law abiding U.S. citizens. If you are concerned about the collection and disclosure of information from air travelers and want the DOT to rescind its proposal, please provide your comments to Yvonne L. Coates at the address below. Comments must be RECEIVED by February 24, 2003, to be considered. A sample letter is also below. Yvonne L. Coates Department of Transportation Office of the Secretary 400 7th Street, SW Washington, DC 20590 (202) 366-6964 (telephone) (202) 366-7024 (fax) Yvonne.Coates@ost.dot.gov (Internet address) Reference: Federal Register, January 15, 2003, Volume 68, Number 10, Pages 2101-2103. ----------------- Begin Sample Letter ----------------------------- Dear Ms. Coates, I am writing to voice my objections to DOT's proposed information collection of airline passenger information published in the Federal Register, January 15, 2003, Pages 2101-2103. The proposed system is an affront to the personal liberties on which this nation was founded. Please rescind it. Signed, Your Name. ------------------ End Sample Letter ----------------------------- (Thanks to Dick_Hazeleger for bringing this to my attention in time! And, it wouldn't hurt for all you non-U.S. citizens to drop them a little email, either, since it affects you if you travel to the U.S.! http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/29408.html Pete
Excellent post, Pete. I just faxed my comment. Here's something you will really like (or really enrage you to be more precise). This was an editorial in the Baltimore Sun yesterday (Friday): [http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0221-04.htm
CheckOut - Perhaps with a little change in the phrasing.... L2BS - http://writ.news.findlaw.com/ramasastry/20030217.html . Pete
It's just incredible. I never thought things like this could happen right under our nose without public outrage. All of these things in Prof. Ramasastry's article - all of them - strike at the very heart of FREEDOM. When people would say to me, "Oh, you guys worry too much about privacy," I always wondered if they realized that the very essence of freedom is PRIVACY. The right to be left alone, the right to not have the *government* looking over shoulders. So many worried about "creeping socialism" or "creeping fascism" -- we needed to worry about creeping totalitarianism of whatever stripe! It all still shocks me our leaders can be coming up with this PATRIOT II and so little attention paid to it. Would the legislation have to be called the , "Destroying Your Freedoms Act of 2003," before people would listen? Or would they still be too busy watching "Joe Millionaire"?? Makes you afraid to turn on your computer to see what's happening next. By the way, the eBay thread was VERY interesting. Thanks for the informative posts, Pete. John Luv2BSecure
You're quite welcome, John. Picked that thing up word-for-word off of hazeleger's new site. Anyone besides me seeing any irony in the fact that I'm getting "hot" info on American freedom/privacy issues off of a site in the Netherlands - and that the site not only posts them - but encourages people to become involved? Can it be that someone besides me has finally realized that America's freedom/privacy problems affect the entire world? Or, that people in other countries are watching closely to see if average American citizens can change the course of things (legally), by simply becoming involved - and making the system in place work for them - like it's supposed to? And that the outcome of this struggle of ours can encourage other countries citizens to use every legal method at their disposal to prevent the same kinds of in-roads into whatever freedoms and privacies they have? It leaves me totally slack-jawed in amazement that every single "technical" and/or "security"-type board isn't spreading the "Get Involved" message - who better than they to get the attention of intelligent, literate people to help stem the tide of government (everywhere) oppression of the very people that those governments claim to represent? The current government thrust toward the entire demolition of basic freedom and privacy rights of the American citizen must be stopped. Before it involves the entire world. Pete
Pete For whatever its worth......may I extend as much encouragement as possible to you.....your posts are much needed. personally I am burnt-out.....these days my attitude has changed dramatically. If not for it being you in particular who made the post I would not even have replied. Pete......at this point in time I have no real desire to even bother using the internet.....have already given away all but one of my computers.....kept three new towers and one computer.......while the world was wide awake they lost their freedoms......without a wimper.......an the children of the world will never know freedom as we have had..... the truth was told...no one listened.
If only that wasn't already too late. Like the days of so-called "sexual liberation" of the sixties, the pendulum will swing again. When, I just don't know. I have a nasty feeling that, unlike all other times in history, opportunistic legislation will make the pendulum stick permanently to one side. And the KGB will live again - and be floated on NASDAQ.
Please address your comments to the DOT Dockets. See page 2002 in the Federal Register, Vol 68, no. 10. for the address. This was the response to my email to Ms. Coates. The part that is getting to me is how many ways the government is trying to take away our freedom. I'm trying to get my friends involved. I have contacted by email or webmail both state Senators, my state Representative, and the President. Now i'm probably on an FBI list. But I intend to keep making myself heard. Thanks to everyone who has posted with these alerts. Loki
Loki my compliments....I admire your determination........ No doubt there are many people out there fearful of being on "a list" so wont make an effort.......fear is a terrible thing.......an the lost of freedom is much worse..... ********************************* Checky most definitely...without question..its ALREADY to late. an the sad part of it all......its been to late for several years........the only change is that now its legal to do what was being done all this time......... the world was keep busy looking for non-exsistent garbage while information was being collected right under everone's nose.........smoke and mirrors......an they even said publically what was being done......an it was completely ignorred.....an still is ignorred. No I wont bother commenting on whats happening.....I am finish with wasting my time......let it be someone else now. now people are hiding under their beds afraid to speak out........praise to the few good people who still have the heart to stand up like men...... Checky I'll be on my way "out" now....best to you
PETE was making my depature an remembered to post this. in regards to my last post.....the "collection" can very easily be avoided.......CHAIN>>>CHAIN>>>>CHAIN......... take care old friend.......got to go for now.....seeya buddy
Snowman - you are SO right. Now is not the time to lay down. To do so would make Jefferson roll in his grave. Good thoughts, friend. Pete - You may have already seen this, but I thought EPIC made some really good points in their published comments to the DoT. This is an excellent read by a group that continues to stand and fight! http://www.epic.org/privacy/airtravel/tsacomments2.24.2003.html Senator Robert Byrd gave some powerful comments on the floor of the Senate the other day and it received no coverage on the news at all. If it weren't for C-Span many things would happen we would never hear about. Byrd is a well-respected historian and a legend of the Senate, no matter what you think of him politically. He was on the verge of tears, choking up, when he took the floor and said in part (and this is well worth reading if you are from the USA): [hr] "I am an old man. I wanted to live a long life, but I never wanted to live to see what I am seeing happen to the most basic of civil liberties and freedoms in this country I love so much. Please, my beloved colleagues on both sides of the aisle in this esteemed chamber, think, think, please think of what is happening that is the undermining of freedom and liberty on a scale that I have not seen in all of my years in this chamber. On September 11, 2001, I was worried about the response. But never did I imagine a response that gave the terrorist murderers a victory that even they couldn't have imagined. We have done in this city, in seventeen short months, in response to 9-11, what the terrorists could not do in 50 years. The word I hear is that more legislation is soon going to be on the way here that would make our lives an open book and the ability to abuse the pages of our own chapters let loose to run wild. I pray to God almighty that my colleagues give what is happening long and serious thought. The very existence of our nation as a free and democratic republic may soon lie in the hands of all of us in this chamber today. May we be led to do the right thing and preserve the freedoms and this republic that was given to us with blood - if we could keep it." [hr] John Luv2BSecure
Great link, John! The CAPPS II program sounds like it was designed by Hitler, doesn't it? And the TSA's total refusal to provide information about it (as they are required to under "law" - although somehow I don't believe they consider the Privacy Act to be law anymore) is quite Stalin-esque. Stay tuned, everyone - you're witnessing the complete metamorphisis of the United States from a country of individual freedoms and liberty to an actual *** police state who not only wants complete control over their OWN citizens - but over the WORLD, as well. Pete without taking sides, at least one word had to be ***out - it's a thin line, but there are limits - even being European - paul
Fortunately most public oppinion is heavily against the USA at present regarding its power moves . I speak from a vantage point outside of this country. those who reside in this totalitarian country have a vote every few years , so I hope they will wake up and use it wisely , for it appears it is there only few minutes of freedom . although that can be disputed after the Florida elections . World opinion is fast growing against USA and most countries are not prepared to allow these controlls to continue as time will soon show. Totalitarianism is at its height and tries to controll all within its path . Even its own events that are staged with such precision to frighten and freak its people like sheep who are easily manipulated. When it all boils down , you do have a vote .And what you have in is what you voted in general for ,
