California Governor to Ask for Broader Wiretaps 19
koganuts writes: "According to The Los Angeles Times, California governor Gray Davis '...is calling for expanded authority to wiretap Californians' phones and e-mail in the name of protecting against terrorism.' 'Nuff said."
Welcome to Californa, please hand over your rights (Score:5, Insightful)
I can only hope that a massive influx of hard, direct questions to the office of the Governor of California - Gray Davis [mailto](governor@governor.ca.gov) that this is unacceptable to the people of his constituency.
The
It would also be grand if someone could post a link to (or transcript of) the governor's State of the State speech tonight.
If anyone else is aware of grassroot groups that are actively and positively working on raising the public's awareness to this kind of knee-jerk violation of our rights, please post applicable links here, and see what we can do to keep this getting any worse.
Re:Welcome to Californa, please hand over your rig (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Welcome to Californa, please hand over your rig (Score:1)
i dont see much a problem.... (Score:3, Informative)
But like any other wire tap, all this still requires judge's approval and authroization. Hence, I dont see the big deal. On top of this, the article states that there were only 88 approved warrants for wiretaps in the year 2000 in CA, so it's not like wiretaps are a big thing for state and local police in CA, especially when you consider the size and population of CA.
Re:i dont see much a problem.... (Score:2, Insightful)
Davis has not made any comment about this, and has not even suggested that the "war" is the reason. So in effect he is asking for more than the feds have (or at least will (hopefully) have in 4 years).
Argh! (Score:4, Funny)
I gotta say, though, that when both Democrats AND Republicans throw civil liberties out the window, I have to wonder if the Illuminati aren't involved...
OK,
- B
Re:Argh! (Score:2)
--G
Re:Argh! (Score:2)
When lots of people all work towards something rotten like this, there's two possibilities...
Either there's a conspiracy of a few evil people behind it, or...
You need to lower your oppinion of people in general.
Occam's razor baby!
-
f*** me... (Score:2)
I guess if you are arab in this country or look arab your under suspicion now. Guess we didn't learn from WWII and how we treated the Japanese or asian looking people. This treatment of arabs should frighten all but the whitest of people as this IS racial profiling in the US and it is leading to racial descrimination.
Jews, african americans, arabs, hispanics, all look like arab / muslems. A friend of mine is Jewsih and he was profiled at the airport, and made to take off his shoes. He then had his luggage lots for several days. He was lucky cause he got his luggage back after a few days.
I just wonder how they are going to know who to tap? Or are they going to do random phone tapping. Or tap people just cause they can?
Molder was right, "Trust no one!".....
Re:f*** me... (Score:2)
Congradulations, your jewish. Do you look Jewish? I've been told I do, but I'm spanish.
The problem that my friend encountered was that even though he was 2 hours early for his plane he almost missed it because of the searches. Lucky the plane was running late anyway. Then he had to get a connection and was searched again and almost missed his connection. You'd think that one search would be enough. Like he had time to build a bomb between tranfers when the first plane was late and he was already behind. They made him take off his shoes also. I guess the best thing is to wear slipons or something that is easy on / off.
I guess you missed the point. First the Nazis only took the jews to the camps. Then they stuck them in the ovens. While we may be far from that now, things like this is where it starts. First racially profiling is okay in airports. Then the first attach on a mall or other public place allows security guards to follow people around the mall because of a 'profile' they THINK they fit. Yes they do this now. Then clerks don't help these people cause of the way they look. Oh and they do this now in some places. In Kansas there was a major department store, which I wont mention its name, that was sued by some african american for not helping them and having security come up and watch them.
I guess though you are okay with having your rights stripped away for your safety. Until the theocracy that the Bush administration wants to create says being Jewish is against the law.
unreasonable searches and seizures (Score:4, Insightful)
The ACLU's Web site details its opposition to expanded surveillance authority in the Patriot Act. The new federal law lowers the standard for obtaining wiretap authority, the site says, requiring judges to rubber-stamp any request law-enforcement deems "relevant to an ongoing criminal investigation."
And, it says, the law extends "this low threshold of proof to Internet communications that are far more revealing than the numbers dialed to or from a telephone, and to portions of e-mail communications that cannot readily be separated from content."
On its face, the law seems reasonable because a warrant is required. However, the judge is effectively forced by law to agree to the warrant. Therefore, it isn't a warrant at all. Even the word 'warrant' itself means that a search or seizure should be warranted, that is, justified. But even unjustified searches and seizures are allowed under the "Patriot Act" if prosecutors invoke the magic word 'terrorism'.
This is why I wrote my checks to the ACLU and the EFF on September 20th. I was afraid that things like this would happen. Sometimes it is good to be wrong.
And another thing about these "pen-register" taps on Internet transmissions. If the police investigating you get a list of phone numbers, they know who you've been calling and that's it. If they have a warrant (a real one) that's a very reasonable search IMO. I think it would also be reasonable if, under terms of a search warrant, law enforcement could obtain a trace of all your DNS traffic. But if they get a full URL history they know everything there is to know (except HTTP POST data and cookies)!
Have you ever really examined your browser history? Not the stuff on the pulldown tab, the stuff in the unadvertised 2 meg file buried deep in the browser directories. You will remember everything you ever read and did on the Internet if you see it. That is incredibly unreasonable IMO, especially when it is seized under a "Patriot Act" un-warrant.
Ahh, Grey Davis. The new Jerry Brown. (Score:1)
Y'know, I just have to put this here:
"I am governor Jerry Brown
My aura smiles and never frowns
Soon I will be president
Carter power will soon go away
I will be Fuhrer one day
I will command all of you
Your kids will meditate in school
California uber alles
Uber alles California
Zen Fascists will control you
One hundred percent natural
You will jog for the master race
and always wear the happy face
Close your eyes, can't happen here
Big Bro' on white horse is near
The hippies won't come back you say
Mellow out or you will pay
Now it is 1984
Knock Knock on your front door
It's the seude denim police
They've come for your uncool niece
Come quietly to the camp
You'd look nice as a drawstring lamp
Don't worry, it's only a shower
For your clothes here's a pretty flower
Die on organic poison gas
Serpent's egg is already hatched
You will crack, you little clown
When you mess with president Brown." - Dead Kennedys, 'California Uber Alles'
Too bad 'President Davis' doesn't rhyme with it.
Re:Ahh, Grey Davis. The new Jerry Brown. (Score:1)
Too bad 'President Davis' doesn't rhyme with it.
It rhymes well enough. They did a version of the song for Reagan. I think it was on "In God We Trust, Inc." Anyway, "Davis" rhymes well enough with "Reagan" for bad slashdot punk filk purposes.
Maryland wants this, too (Score:1)
So how effective are wiretaps in prosecutions? In how many convictions were wiretaps essential evidence?
Their intent is obvious (Score:2)
They will HAVE TO - or get caught.
Government say about surveillance - "you've nothing to fear - if you are not breaking the law"
This argument is made to pressure people into acquiesce - else appear guilty of hiding something.
It does not address the real reason, why they want this information - they want a surveillance society.
They wish to invade your basic human right to privacy.
This is like having somebody watching everything you do - all your thoughts, hopes and fears will be open to them.
All your finances for them to scrutinize - heaven help you if you cannot account for every cent when they check on your taxes.
Do not believe the lies of Government - this bull* will not protect you from terrorists.
Incidentally, the United States Department of Commerce and the United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization know the solution to domain name and trademark problems.
You will find it at WIPO.org.uk [wipo.org.uk].