IAO Protest

IAO Protest Today is the day of the protest against the IAO. Its a good time to remind people, as the Christmas shopping frenzy intensifies, that their rights are threatened and we need to send a unified message that total surveillance of everyone in the nation isn't an acceptable means of attempting security. Fourth amendment rights are still guaranteed to every single person in the US. Don't let them forget, and don't you forget either! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ from http://www.musicalpeace.org/vyoma/December%2021.htm "STAND UP FOR AMERICAN FREEDOM DECEMBER 21, 2002 STOP THE INFRINGEMENT OF OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS In the wake of the attacks of September 11, 2001, it is clear to every American that we must protect our nation and our people against the aggression of terrorists and militant groups. There is no question that our government must take steps to insure the safety of people at home and abroad. In the course of doing this, it is also critical that we don’t lose the very freedoms that define democracy and, in so doing, bargain away the very thing we are supposed to be protecting. To do this would be to do exactly what the terrorists want to accomplish; the destruction of the American way of life. The government has recently created the Information Awareness Office "http://www.darpa.mil/iao ", an organization that has been chartered with the surveillance of every US citizen. One of the IAO’s major projects is Total Information Awareness. The goal of this program is to tie together all data from the private and public sectors. It is charged with examining every piece of data attached to every American. Under this program, every time we use a credit card, every time we visit a website, every time we generate information about ourselves, regardless of how privatewe may wish that information to be, the IAO will be made aware of and will examine that data through the use of technology known as data mining. Every phone call will be logged by government computers. Every email will be examined. Even our medical records are open to inspection as part of biometric data being compiled by the IAO. In short, we are giving up all privacy. We are being asked to surrender our Constitutional right to the freedom from unreasonable search and seizure in the name of security. If we give up our rights and freedoms, the very definitions of the American way of life, then we are giving up the American way of life itself. Clearly, there is no one in America who wants to give up the very thing we’re supposed to be fighting for. This new agency and the resultant threat to our freedom has been decried by commentators across the political spectrum from William Safire (New York Times, 11/14/02) to Rob Morse (San Francisco Chronicle, 11/20/02). This is not an issue for the left or for the right; this is a grave situation for all Americans. As a response to this, and as a means to fight for the freedoms that we, as Americans, hold so dear, all the people of the US must stand united and send a message to our government that we are opposed to the loss of our Constitutional rights. There is no goal worth the loss of our very freedom, and freedom cannot exist in the atmosphere of a police state. All Americans who want to act to protect the American way of life can send this message through a few simple actions: * Do not use credit or debit (ATM) cards on December 21. December 21 is the last Saturday before Christmas. By not using your cards, you will be sending a clear message that you don’t approve of the Information Awareness Office tracking your purchases and examining the way that you, as an American, choose to spend your own money. * Stay off the Internet entirely on December 21. By doing this you will let the government and the IAO know that you, as an American guaranteed basic freedom under the US Constitution, don’t approve of the government watching what websites you choose to visit. You’ll let them know that you don’t approve of your private email being examined without your consent. * Inform your credit card issuers and Internet service providers. It’s important that these companies know that you are intentionally engaging in the actions mentioned above. By doing so, you will help to put pressure on entire industries that can, in turn, pressure the Information Awareness Office and the US government to stop engaging in the surveillance of Americans who haven’t been accused of any crime. A good way to do this is to send a copy of this document with your next credit card payment and thus let them know ahead of time of your commitment to American democracy and the US Constitution. * Send a copy of this document to your Congressional representatives. Make copies of this document, sign the bottom, and mail them to your Senator and Representative, as well as any other government officials you feel are appropriate. * Spread the word. Forward copies of this document to friends, family and associates. Pass it on to organizations to which you belong. Let others know! The more Americans that participate in these actions, the more likely it is that the government will hear our united voice! By committing to these simple actions, you will demonstrate that you, as an American, are opposed to the loss of our way of life in the face of terrorism. This is an issue that cuts across all lines of party and ideology; this is a time for us all to stand united and to defend the very things that make America great. The ideal of American democracy cannot survive the loss of American freedom, and we must all come together to insure that our rights, the very foundation of America, survives this perilous point in history. On December 21, stand up for America and let our government know that you won’t let anyone take away your freedom! "