Subject:
end Patriot Act excesses
To:
Sen. Charles Schumer
November 2, 2009
Dear Senator Schumer,
As an alumnae of Emma Willard School, i am a strong believer of security through the application of our democratic freedoms and judicial due process, not police state legislation such as the Patriot Act.
As you know, three provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act are set to expire by December 31, 2009. Now is the opportune time to make sure that 1) spying and surveillance powers on our community and places of worship are put to an end, 2) records and information of innocent and law-abiding Americans are not obtained covertly, and 3) individuals who are working with or for charities that provide humanitarian aid in good faith to people in conflict areas are not prosecuted.
H.R. 3845 provides much-needed protections in the following areas:
* The national security letter statute is amended to ensure that the government can only obtain financial, credit, and communication records of people believed to be terrorists or spies, instead of innocent Americans.
* The government's authorization to collect information from libraries and booksellers that personally identify patrons or customers is removed.
* Giving notice of a search one's home must happen within seven days of the execution of a warrant instead of thirty days.
While H.R. 3845 provides these protections, it reqires some amending. A problematic provision regarding the "material support" has not been amended. This provision would allow prosecution of individuals or charities providing humanitarian assistance in good faith to people in conflict areas. An amendment should be added to instead prosecute those who actually have the intention to support terrorist-related or oriented activities.
Please co-sponsor H.R. 3845 along with an amendment on the material support provision.
Hopefully,
Troy , NY
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