FBI Begins Visiting Libraries

Associated Press ^ | June 24, 2002 | Christopher Newton

[concerned about politics]

This is the same woman, I'm sure, who opposed internet filters in publically financed libraries. What a bunch of sickos. I can't think of people than hate American worse than people like her.

Imagine how helpful this woman would be if they were hunting down pro-lifers or pro-straights. She'd be leaping over tables to get the files ready!

[SSN558]

Dang, I never knew they stopped. Check out about five books on explosives and return them the next week. Then watch your back. Next check out about five books on methamphetine and return them the next week. Then watch your back. Next hit the communist book shelf. You get the picture.

My experience is that the FBI will hire part time criminal justice majors and a few gung ho ROTC to be their eyes. It was good fun to make their eyes pop out.

[mombonn]

Wow, one of the few times a comment of mine has drawn comment!

I support the First Amendment - something I don't believe the librarians of this country do. They support children viewing pornography, etc. - to me that is a distortion of the First Amendment when minors are concerned. Call me Dr. Laura, Jr.

I DON'T support crying "Fire" in an open theatre - I generally LOATHE the tactics of the fbi; but, given a choice between the lesser of two evils, I support the fbi monitoring sites visited by KNOWN terrorists when my tax dollars have allowed these killers to do so.

I'm shocked myself to side with the fbi.

[WaterDragon]

Patron information at libraries sacrosanct? What rot! Go, FBI, and track down those slimy terrorists who think to hide behind our laws!

[ChicagoRepublican]

I'm not a libertarian, but they can easily use the following comment;

You are either with the Constitution, or against it.

[Timesink]

Judith Krug, the American Library Association's director for intellectual freedom, said the FBI was treading on the rights it is supposed to be upholding.

So tell me, Ms. Krug. Did you ever get around to studying how many copies of "Stupid White Men" America's "intellectually free" public librarians stocked their shelves with in the last 12 months vs. the number of copies of "Bias"?

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

Why are they telling us this? So we will be kept abreast that they are utilizing billions of our dollars, Naaaaaaa.
That they want us to know they are doing SOMETHING? Naaaaaaa.
That in case John Mohhamed Abdul Smith realizes they are seeing that he checked out "How to be gay and fashionable" and "How to win against the IRS"- books.

Yep Houston we have touchdown.

[MonroeDNA]

"They can start by arresting the librarians mentioned in this article, and sending them off to live in the Arab world. That way they can discover what real oppression is like.

I am on the fence with this one. I agree that we should use all means necessary to root out Islamicist terrorists. But can you imagine Bill Clinton and Hillary being in charge of the FBI under this law? Good god. Anyone's library reading habits could be exposed, with one Clinton appointee judge signing the warrent in secret, for any "secret" cause. And the Librarians would be prosecuted if they raised a flag.

Picture this: You support the 2nd ammendment vigorously. On some internet forum, you state that you would rather fight than let the government confiscate your weapons, like what happenned in England. Hillary's stooges see that message, get a secret warrant to search what you have read in the library. You checked out a book on anything to do with homosexuality--just to gain info to fight back. They now have you under their thumb, threatening to expose your reading list to the public. In fact, they leak it to the press.

Under Clinton, this would happen.

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

LOL I thought of Clinton's LIEbrary as well. How ironic...they should be there.

[Apollo]

MY taxpayer funded library to keep ANY documents in its possession secret?

Good point.

[dcwusmc]

Marvelous. The wonderful USA-PATRIOT act. These people need to be in prison themselves!

[WakeUpChristian]

EU Tax Commissars Target U.S.

[billybudd]

You're right. Anyone who dares oppose anything the government does must be a communist. Seig Heil!

[dheretic]

And after she answers you, perhaps you can share with us all the provision of the constitution that allows MY taxpayer funded library to keep ANY documents in its possession secret?

And then you can show me which provision in the US Constitution allows for such superfelous information to be gathered by the FBI, which the last time I checked is bound by the US Constitution 100% since it is a federal agency. You are so confident that leftists are not going to win any time soon that you trust the power to get whatever information they want without proving they need it to federal agents. 500+ FBI files in Clinton's office. What is to stop a Hillary from coming to power and then using these powers against those that disagree with her? As we libertarians say about censorship, a government big enough to outlaw playboy is big enough to outlaw the Bible. The essence of that applies to police powers. Any power you give the police now, can be used later at their discresion because you've already set a precedent for them being able to use it against one type of dangerous person. The definition of terrorist in the USA PATRIOT Act is so broad that today it's islamists, tomorrow it'll be anti-abortion activists.

[A. Morgan]

Wait just a minute, let me get this straight. Back in September groups of middle eastern terrorist moles hijacked some airliners and crashed two of them into the WTC and one into the Pentagon. Now, with the airports security so tight Granma's getting frisked at every turn, what else have the middle eastern terrorist left to hijack... but... LIBRARIES.

[parsifal]

Dear FBI

How are you? Fine I hope. About why I am writing you, I just read that you are going to be checking up on what we read at libraries. I wanted to let you know about a few of those books I checked out.

First, I did not know that "Edna the Whip Lady" was a naughty book. I thought it was a book about leather manufacturing.

Second, "Making Women's Lingerie in Male Sizes" was one that I just checked out for a rather large female friend of mine. If you cross reference Wal Mart's fabric department records, you should be aware that I bought all that lace and silk for her, too.

Third, that book on "Growing Hemp Products For Fun and Profit", well frankly, I forget just what I thought that was.

Very truly yours,


parsy.

[eno_]

I was hoping someone told them "Read a book!"

[dheretic]

They support children viewing pornography, etc. - to me that is a distortion of the First Amendment when minors are concerned.

Or maybe they see how (a) the filters don't block out a lot of pornography at all, (b) they tend to block out a lot of religious and political sites, FreeRepublic is one of those in certain packages, (c) they would most likely not have the authority to override the filter to let kids view sites that shouldn't have been blocked and (d) these companies have no market incentive to actually block out a lot of pornography sites because surprise, surprise, that would put them out of business! Go take an entry level Computer Science course that emphasises algorithm development. You'll get a taste for how damn near impossible it is to write an algorithm or series of algorithms that can intelligently analyze even the most basic human languages.

[Hugin]

Can you please cite to the applicable provision of the United States Constitution that holds, "you are either with us or with the terrorists"?

Can you please cite to the applicable provision of the United States Constitution that holds that the records of publically funded libraries are private? The Constitution only says that you have a right to be secure in your person and property. It says nothing about public records. If you don't like the idea of law enforcement being able to find out what you are reading, don't check out books at the library.

[Darth Sidious]

We'll be sure to wave to you as you're marched off to "the showers". Thanks for cheering on fascism.