Support the Freedom to Read Amendment

[Mass]

http://www.workingforchange.com/activism/action.cfm?itemid=17226

Support the Freedom to Read Amendment

Contributed by Working Assets

Within the next few days, Congress will vote on a bipartisan proposal to protect the freedom to read threatened by the USA PATRIOT Act.

When the PATRIOT Act was rushed through Congress soon after 9/11, one of the little noticed provisions was Section 215 which severely expands the scope of materials the FBI can access with a warrant from the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance court. In short, the FBI can demand that bookstores and libraries hand over lists of all of their patrons and what books they’ve purchased or borrowed. Adding insult to injury, it also prevents bookstore owners and librarians from telling patrons they're being watched or searched.

The proposed amendment would prohibit the Department of Justice from using any money in its budget to search a library or bookseller using the wide-sweeping powers granted under Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act. The amendment would restore and protect the privacy and First Amendment rights of library and bookstore patrons which were in place before the USA PATRIOT Act.

Call to action
The vote on the Freedom to Read Amendment will happen as early as the afternoon of Tuesday, June 14th. Please contact your representative immediately and ask him or her to support the Freedom to Read Amendment to protect American's civil rights and freedom to read.
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1. I'll support that!