House Limits Patriot Act Rules on Library Records

[Bob Hubbard]

[font=arial,helvetica]House Limits Patriot Act Rules on Library Records[/font]Wednesday June 15, @10:10PM
from the guess-what-I'm-reading dept.
xerid writes "From CNN.COM: "WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House voted Wednesday to block the FBI and the Justice Department from using the Patriot Act to search library and book store records. Despite a veto threat from President Bush, lawmakers voted 238-187 to block the part of the anti-terrorism law that allows the government to investigate the reading habits of terror suspects.""

( Read More...Slashdot

 

[arnisador]

This is good news--that was a particularly onerous part of it. It wasn't consistent with out history of individual freedoms in this country.

 

[sgtmac_46]

This is good news--that was a particularly onerous part of it. It wasn't consistent with out history of individual freedoms in this country.

I don't have any problem with this. I really don't see a purpose for this part of the legislation (unlike some other sections) and I don't see how it would have been useful. It's always been my contention that specific sections of the Patriot Act need to be examined to determine it's merits piecemeal. I have always stated that the idea of attacking the Patriot Act as "A threat to freedom" and using hyperbole and invective is counter-productive. If there is a specific section of the Patriot Act that needs to reexamined, that's what we should do in detail. This was a good call by the legislators.

 

[Tgace]

Exactly..from what Ive heard this change only makes the process of gaining access to the records different, not outlawing it entirely. No information should be entirely off limits if it could be necessary, only that due process if followed. The system is working as it should.

 

[michaeledward]

It will be wonderful if President's Bush's first veto is one that restricts, in any way, the freedom of people to access ideas and information; completely appropriate for this administration.

 

[sgtmac_46]

It will be wonderful if President's Bush's first veto is one that restricts, in any way, the freedom of people to access ideas and information; completely appropriate for this administration.

Really, what ideas and information are restricted?