Death Penalty for "Domestic Terrorists"

[ Seriously scary f'd up shit. -d ]

PRESIDENT BUSH AGGRESSIVELY PROMOTES USA PATRIOT ACT

Even though scores of Americans as well as many of our leaders in Congress now 
believe that the USA Patriot Act went too far in curbing our civil liberties, 
President Bush has made support of this legislation a centerpiece of his 
Presidential campaign.

As the President goes on the road to drum up support for the Patriot Act, he 
and others in his administration are purposefully misleading the American 
people about the nature of this legislation. In response, the ACLU will be 
releasing periodic detailed rebuttals on White House misinformation.

Here are a few from the President's speech in Buffalo on April 20th:

The President: "By the way, the reason I bring up the Patriot Act, it's set to 
expire next year. I'm starting a campaign to make it clear to members of 
Congress that it shouldn't expire. It shouldn't expire for the security of our 
country."

The Truth: Less that 10 percent of the Patriot Act expires; most of the law is 
permanent.

The President: "And that changed, the law changed on- roving wiretaps were 
available for chasing down drug lords. They weren't available for chasing down 
terrorists, see?"

The Truth: Roving wiretaps were available prior to 9/11 against drug lords and 
terrorists. Prior to the law, the FBI could get a roving wiretap against both 
when it had probable cause of crime for a wiretap eligible offense. What the 
Patriot Act did is make it harder for judges to serve as a watchdog on law 
enforcement activities."

"The president speech was misinformation, pure and simple," said Anthony D. 
Romero, ACLU Executive Director. "The administration is making a series of 
deliberate misstatements to deceive the American public."

Read the full point-by-point rebuttal of the President's remarks:
http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=15525&c=206&MX=1213&H=0

President Bush is calling on Congress to remove all of the sunsets from the 
Patriot Act, making the entirety of the law permanent. The ACLU urges Congress 
to resist such overtures and to re-examine those sections of the law that are 
at the center of the public controversy. Now is the time for careful 
deliberation, examination and fine-tuning -- not misinformation, smokescreens 
and the blanket reauthorization that the president demands.

TAKE ACTION
OPPOSE EXPANSION OF THE DEATH PENALTY UNDER THE PATRIOT ACT

The Bush Administration is urging the U.S. House to pass a bill that would 
dramatically expand the federal death penalty, including expansion based on 
the PATRIOT Act's infamous "domestic terrorism" provisions. This proposed 
legislation would create 23 new death penalties in one stroke as well as 
create an unprecedented "catch-all" death penalty for any crime that meets the 
PATRIOT Act's overbroad definition of terrorism. Congress needs to re-examine 
the PATRIOT Act, not increase its power by dramatically expanding the death 
penalty.

Take Action!
Urge Congress to oppose expansion of the death penalty under the provisions of 
the infamous PATRIOT Act.

Click here for more information and to send a free fax to your Representative:
http://www.aclu.org/NationalSecurity/NationalSecurity.cfm?ID=15502&c=24&MX=1213&H=0
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