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AT&T & Verizon Still Squirming To Get Off The Hook |
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Friday, 29 February 2008 |
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Citizens are guaranteed the right to privacy as set forth by the US Constitution. The government does not have the authority to invade a citizen’s personal correspondence or homes without proper court authorization. The digital age does grant our government the right to make deals with Telecoms without adhering to Constitutional law. The government needs a warrant to check your mail because the law requires it and this law also applies to phone calls, e-mails and text messages. American Corporations should not be above the law and should be held liable when they illegally turn over private correspondence over to the government without a court order. The people, as citizens of the US, must hold the Telecoms accountable to protect the Constitutional Rights that we are entitled to.
Update: ACLU spokesperson protests that FISA fight is about lawbreaking, not about money Ron Brynaert President Bush held a news conference Thursday morning to press Congress to pass an intelligence bill making it easier for the government to conduct domestic eavesdropping on phone calls and e-mails in connection with terrorism investigations. MSNBC's David Gregory noted that Bush was availing himself of the "megaphone" at his disposal, as president, by being able to garner television time to fight for the legislation he wants passed. Bush met with reporters in the White House press briefing room at 10:05 a.m. EST Thursday. A temporary intelligence law has expired, and Bush wants Congress to renew it, and to provide legal immunity to telecommunications companies that helped the government after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. "Without the cooperation of the private sector we cannot protect our country from terrorist attacks," Bush said early in the briefing, as he urged Congress to give immunity to telecoms. Referring to class-action plaintiff's attorneys, Bush said, "I don't want to try to get inside their head. I suspect they see, you know, a financial gravy train, [by] trying to sue these companies." In response, ACLU Washington spokeswoman Liz Rose told RAW STORY that the argument was about potential lawbreaking, and criticized the president -- and his "acolytes" in the Republican party -- for clouding the issue by making profiteering accusations. "The Bush White House and their acolytes now claim that we must give giant telecoms amnesty for breaking the law, or else those telecoms will no longer cooperate with the government in spying efforts that help protect America," Rose told RAW STORY. "But the truth is that telecoms do not need a special deal. In fact, these companies have immunity from lawsuits for turning over customer records to the government if they do so in conformity with existing law." Rose added, "But, in this instance, the telephone companies knowingly violated that law. If we give them a free pass this time, won't the telephone companies feel free to violate the laws protecting our privacy in the future?" "The Bush Administration and their supporters in Congress complain that these lawsuits are simply about money and enriching trial lawyers - suggesting that the litigation should be stopped because of the potential damages that might be awarded in such lawsuits," the civil liberties group spokesperson continued. "This criticism ignores the fact that, according to the rules in the federal court, the only way that we could ensure that a federal judge could continue to explore previous violations if the companies simply changed their participation or the government changed or ended the program was to ask for minimal damages." Rose added, "We are not interested in recovering money for ourselves. We, however, are committed to assuring that these giant companies are held accountable for violating the law now and thus dissuaded from violating the law in the future." As Bush began speaking, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., cast the president's position as a "tiresome campaign...to avoid accountability for the unlawful surveillance of Americans." "The president once again is misusing his bully pulpit," Leahy said. "Once again they are showing they are not above fear-mongering if that's what it takes to get their way." |
