KUDOS to librarians who said HELL NO to FBI demands under "Patriot" Act!

[LynnTheDem]

"It was a moment that librarians had been dreading.

On June 8, 2004, an FBI agent stopped at the Deming branch of the Whatcom County Library System in northwest Washington and requested a list of the people who had borrowed a biography of Osama bin Laden.

We said no.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2005-05-17-librarian-edit_x.htm

WTF??? A list of people who took out a bio on OBL??? That makes you a "terrorist"??? Wanting a bio of a world-known individual??? HELLO AMERICA!!! WAKE THE FUCK UP NOW PLEASE!!!

[atommom]

1. Librarians have a lot to be pissed off about these days.

I'm glad they fought back, and weren't forced to comply this time. With the harsh secrecy requirements, we'll never know for sure how many patron records are seized under the Patriot Act. But we all need to keep fighting this bullshit on every front.

:yourock:

[skooooo]

2. If you look at the quote...

...that someone wrote in the margin, "If the things I'm doing is considered a crime, then let history be a witness that I am a criminal. Hostility toward America is a religious duty and we hope to be rewarded by God." this could have been written by anyone for any reason.

It's a quote. What's so strange or unusual about writing a quote in a book's margin?? Maybe the person was afraid they would lose it if they didn't write it down then. Maybe they were writing a paper on this individual. There are SO MANY reasons why people use, look at, and make notation on information.

Librarians don't ask WHY or ASSUME why someone wants to read something, neither should the government

[reprehensor]

3. Impressive, most impressive...

Rock like a hurricane you librarians!