Chicago Free Press Editorial - A spying shame
Chicago Free Press Editorial - A spying shame
Copyright by The Chicago Free Press
Late last year, GLBT Americans were outraged to learn that the Pentagon was spying on four student groups protesting the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
To determine the full extent of this surveillance, the Service Members Legal Defense Network filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the U.S. Departments of Justice and Defense. The Justice Department responded that no such records existed, and the National Security Agency (NSA), part of the Defense Department, neither confirmed nor denied surveillance activities or records.
Still, on April 19 a federal judge ordered three government agencies to turn over all documents they had regarding the covert surveillance of domestic GLBT groups by the middle of May. That deadline expired last week, and SLDN received something after all, although not much: six pages of information documenting what the group already knew—that the Pentagon had been spying on GLBT groups at four law schools protesting the presence of military recruiters on campus.
The Pentagon has announced it’s discontinuing its surveillance of GLBT and civil liberties groups, but that fails to offer much consolation. It also strains credibility, given that the administration first denied having records, then managed to produce some.
The latest revelation concerning the Bush administration’s domestic spying program doesn’t help matters either. Last week, USA Today uncovered a massive domestic intelligence-gathering effort by the NSA that has seized records of tens of millions of personal and business calls made within the country.
Even more shocking than the size of this operation was the lack of outrage from the public. A Washington Post-ABC News Poll about the NSA program found that 63 percent thought it was an acceptable way to investigate terrorism. Forty-four percent said they strongly support the effort.
All Americans should share the concerns of SLDN: Exactly who is collecting these records and for what purposes? The administration has yet to answer these vital questions.
For a long time the Bush administration vowed that it was only monitoring overseas calls, but the report last week proved that claim to be disingenuous. So what’s really going on?
GLBT citizens have special concerns about government intervention in their private lives. In most places, people can be denied employment, housing, credit, public accommodations, parenting and other rights based on their sexual orientation. But everyone stands to lose when the purported need to protect freedom results in the curtailment of freedom. Are we really willing to sacrifice freedom to protect ourselves against those who would take it away?
The NSA is tracking the personal communications of millions of ordinary citizens. It is essentially spying on people without warrants—or even justification. If the nation continues headed down the current road, at some point there will be no freedom left to protect.
U.S. law demands that Congress be kept appraised of government intelligence activities, but the White House has consistently flaunted that injunction. Our elected representatives can no longer afford to avoid this situation. It is incumbent upon Congress to launch a full investigation of the administration’s covert and unrestrained electronic surveillance efforts.
Copyright by The Chicago Free Press
Late last year, GLBT Americans were outraged to learn that the Pentagon was spying on four student groups protesting the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
To determine the full extent of this surveillance, the Service Members Legal Defense Network filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the U.S. Departments of Justice and Defense. The Justice Department responded that no such records existed, and the National Security Agency (NSA), part of the Defense Department, neither confirmed nor denied surveillance activities or records.
Still, on April 19 a federal judge ordered three government agencies to turn over all documents they had regarding the covert surveillance of domestic GLBT groups by the middle of May. That deadline expired last week, and SLDN received something after all, although not much: six pages of information documenting what the group already knew—that the Pentagon had been spying on GLBT groups at four law schools protesting the presence of military recruiters on campus.
The Pentagon has announced it’s discontinuing its surveillance of GLBT and civil liberties groups, but that fails to offer much consolation. It also strains credibility, given that the administration first denied having records, then managed to produce some.
The latest revelation concerning the Bush administration’s domestic spying program doesn’t help matters either. Last week, USA Today uncovered a massive domestic intelligence-gathering effort by the NSA that has seized records of tens of millions of personal and business calls made within the country.
Even more shocking than the size of this operation was the lack of outrage from the public. A Washington Post-ABC News Poll about the NSA program found that 63 percent thought it was an acceptable way to investigate terrorism. Forty-four percent said they strongly support the effort.
All Americans should share the concerns of SLDN: Exactly who is collecting these records and for what purposes? The administration has yet to answer these vital questions.
For a long time the Bush administration vowed that it was only monitoring overseas calls, but the report last week proved that claim to be disingenuous. So what’s really going on?
GLBT citizens have special concerns about government intervention in their private lives. In most places, people can be denied employment, housing, credit, public accommodations, parenting and other rights based on their sexual orientation. But everyone stands to lose when the purported need to protect freedom results in the curtailment of freedom. Are we really willing to sacrifice freedom to protect ourselves against those who would take it away?
The NSA is tracking the personal communications of millions of ordinary citizens. It is essentially spying on people without warrants—or even justification. If the nation continues headed down the current road, at some point there will be no freedom left to protect.
U.S. law demands that Congress be kept appraised of government intelligence activities, but the White House has consistently flaunted that injunction. Our elected representatives can no longer afford to avoid this situation. It is incumbent upon Congress to launch a full investigation of the administration’s covert and unrestrained electronic surveillance efforts.
posted by Carlos T Mock at 4:05 PM
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