Last Chance to Stop "Patriot" Act Reauthorization?

If you have not yet called your members of Congress to voice your disapproval of the reauthorization of the so-called USA "Patriot" Act, time is running out. Please call your representative and senators today, and urge them to support real reform of the act. The ACLU makes it easy to find your members' telephone numbers, and also provides talking points:

Please take a stand for civil liberties. Vote no on the Patriot Act reauthorization bill. This bill does not require a connection to a suspected terrorist for the FBI to get sensitive personal records. And it actually makes the Patriot Act worse by making it nearly impossible to overturn a gag order, creating fines for business people who don’t turn over sensitive records, and punishing unauthorized disclosures that gag our First Amendment rights. Don’t cave in to the White House’s scare tactics. True patriots would vote against this attack on our Constitutional freedoms and civil liberties. Americans want Patriot Act Reform. People from across the political spectrum are opposed to the Patriot Act reauthorization bill, including the over 400 state and local governments that passed resolutions against the Patriot Act.

There's still hope to stop this legislation. CNN reports:

Sen. Russ Feingold is strongly hinting he'll filibuster the Patriot Act conference report because of changes made to the carefully crafted Senate-passed bill.

The Wisconsin Democrat said there are several senators from both parties who agree with his assessment that the changes were "unacceptable in every respect" although he doubts Republican leaders will be open to making further changes to the bill.

(full story here)

Please call your members of Congress today! As Edmund Burke once said, "all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

Update: more reasons to oppose the reauthorization of the "Patriot" Act, particularly if you suffer from nasal congestion or are a gun owner