BlogHer - civil liberties - Comments

Sending your link to...

Leighbra — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:28:52 -0500

My senators and asking what they're doing about it.

Thanks for the heads up!

I was in a small town last week that had a sign that said "Thank you for visiting, remember 'If you sacrifice liberty for security, you end up sacrificing both liberty and security.'" (A twist on a Jefferson quote)

I hope we find a balance between our protected right to privacy and protection from terrorism, or we may be passing on an America to our children that looks very different than the one we see in our heads.

keeping your eye on the ball

Vita lingus — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 20:33:02 -0500

Your a woman of substance and I can see willing to stand up and address what needs to be addressed bless you Kim for keeping the Blogher community informed on such issues ..

Bait and Switch Politics

Catherine Morgan — Sun, 24 May 2009 23:11:13 -0500

I HOPE Obama isn't going to become a bait a switch politician. If he does, I think I will lose all faith in our "so called" democracy.

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at Catherine-Morgan.com and Women4Hope

hm

danamo1 — Sun, 24 May 2009 17:41:58 -0500

the three branches thing helps. this is just such a difficult situation.

http://nakedcartwheels.wordpress.com/ (an interactive memoir)

http://twitter.com/danyelsmith

http://twitter.com/danamo

search "danyelliott" at iTunes for podcast

This is more recent and she is so right.......

Crunchy Carpets — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:58:54 -0500

Why are people not paying attention..stop just nodding and hmming..DO SOMETHING!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XgkeTanCGI

People on BlogHer have laughed at me when I mention the term 'fascism' and here we are...

WAKE UP!

Look for me at http://crunchycarpets.com or check out the ladies at www.wetcoastwomen.com

I been saying it, Miguel. Ain't I been saying it?

Nordette — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:25:34 -0500

That's what the character Russell Casse said to his son in the movie Independence Day. He felt vindicated after years of being assumed nuts because he said aliens had abducted him. It turned out that aliens were very real, not ET-lovable, and on the world's doorstep. But, you know, that's only a movie.

Still, I'm feeling a little Russell Casse now. :-) Ever since 9/11 we've been heading down this strange path, and I use Nazi Germany as an example also to show that it's not as hard to turn free people into crazed robots as people today seem to think it is. We've let a lot slide while entertaining fearmongering and promoting feeling over fact in news coverage.

I also remember when the President's powers were expanded " to designate anyone an 'enemy combatant' -- no probable cause required." Scary.

I don't know what we can do to combat it other than to all be more vigilant and to be more willing to protest through writing, speaking, and voting.

Nordette is a Contributing Editor with BlogHer.com whose personal blog is hosted on another site at this link.

Well, I hope people take notice...

Crunchy Carpets — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:36:27 -0500

as an outsider looking in, she is absolutely right.

The similarities between the current US and historic fascist states is frightenly close..and people just ain't seeing it or refuse to see it or sadly, the propaganda is working....

I hope people listen to her....I hope there is a movement for change.

She rocks by the way...

Look for me at http://crunchycarpets.com or check out the ladies at www.wetcoastwomen.com

Wolf - rockin' it once again.

TCMom — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:10:55 -0500

This book sounds absolutely facinating. The Beauty Myth and Misconceptions (written about her experiences with pregnancy) have both made an enormous impression on my life. An interesting post about her latest stuff. It sounds like she's rockin' it once again.

Caroline

http://morningsidemom.wordpress.com/

I Love Naomi Wolf!

From the 'hood — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:44:07 -0500

Her book "The Beauty Myth" really had an impact on me. This book just went straight to the top of my "must read" list!

I can't decide

Laracolvin — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:49:53 -0500

You know, I buy what he says about how the bill is better than it was and how the necessity of effective intelligence tools is too important to delay, and to some degree I understand how long and cumbersome the process would be to take it back to the table. It's this part that bothers me the most, I think:

"So I support the compromise, but do so with a firm pledge that as
President, I will carefully monitor the program, review the report by
the Inspectors General, and work with the Congress to take any
additional steps I deem necessary to protect the lives - and the
liberty - of the American people"

Because what if he loses the election? What happens then? I don't want to think that is going to happen, but I didn't think Gore would end up where he is either. Sure, Obama can work hard in the Senate to oppose and rid the bill of the retroactive immunity, but I worry about the others in Congress. If McCain is in, I think there is a chance our gov't will act in even more heinous ways in regards to civil liberties. I get too much of an angry man vibe from him for me to think otherwise. So Obama supporting a bill on the premise that he will oversee it if he gets in is a little scary for me to consider.

But then, in contrast, there is the part of me that thinks ok, some progress is better than nothing. Sometimes politicians have to work from the inside to change things, and maybe this is one of these times.

But I just don't know!

Your post was informative, but it didn't really say how you felt, Professor Kim. What do you think?

Lara

Notions of Identity

This echoes the statement that upset progressive bloggers

Kim Pearson — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:09:41 -0500

Critics say that the bill that Obama is endorsing is not as different from the Protect America Act as he claims it is. Do you buy his explanation, or do you think he is pandering to conservatives?

Kim
BlogHer Contributing Editor|Professor Kim|

Just received this from Obama's campaign

Laracolvin — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:47:39 -0500

I just received this statement from Obama's campaign:

Statement of Senator Barack Obama on FISA Compromise:

Given the grave threats that we face, our national security agencies must have the capability to gather intelligence and track down terrorists before they strike, while respecting the rule of law and the privacy and civil liberties of the American people. There is also little doubt that the Bush Administration, with the cooperation of major telecommunications companies, has abused that authority and undermined the Constitution by intercepting the communications of innocent Americans without their knowledge or the required court orders.

That is why last year I opposed the so-called Protect America Act, which expanded the surveillance powers of the government without sufficient independent oversight to protect the privacy and civil liberties of innocent Americans. I have also opposed the granting of retroactive immunity to those who were allegedly complicit in acts of illegal spying in the past.

After months of negotiation, the House passed a compromise that, while far from perfect, is a marked improvement over last year's Protect America Act.

Under this compromise legislation, an important tool in the fight against terrorism will continue, but the President's illegal program of warrantless surveillance will be over. It restores FISA and existing criminal wiretap statutes as the exclusive means to conduct surveillance - making it clear that the President cannot circumvent the law and disregard the civil liberties of the American people. It also firmly re-establishes basic judicial oversight over all domestic surveillance in the future. It does, however, grant retroactive immunity, and I will work in the Senate to remove this provision so that we can seek full accountability for past offenses. But this compromise guarantees a thorough review by the Inspectors General of our national security agencies to determine what took
place in the past, and ensures that there will be accountability going forward. By demanding oversight and accountability, a grassroots movement of Americans has helped yield a bill that is far better than the Protect America Act.

It is not all that I would want. But given the legitimate threats we face, providing effective intelligence collection tools with appropriate safeguards is too important to delay. So I support the compromise, but do so with a firm pledge that as President, I will carefully monitor the program, review the report by the Inspectors General, and work with the Congress to take any additional steps I deem necessary to protect the lives - and the liberty - of the American people.

----------------------
Paid for by Obama for America

Notions of Identity

I'm concerned

Laracolvin — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:38:48 -0500

I echo many of the concerns in your article, Prof Kim. I've written to him via his campaign and will follow up with his Senate office. I encourage anyone who has concerns to express them and communicate with his aides and campaign office. It isn't enough to read about and discuss it...we have to act on our concerns!

Notions of Identity

I'm not an Obama supporter

earlgreyrooibos — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:29:06 -0500

I'm not an Obama supporter (for the record, I am not a McCain supporter either), but if I was, this might have cost him my vote. The FISA issue is extremely important to me; I don't think telecoms should have immunity. Had I been an Obama supporter, his stance on the immunity problem would have pushed me to vote for a 3rd-party candidate (which I'm doing anyway).

This is What a Feminist Blogs Like

Not just Obama...

nelle2nelle — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 06:21:18 -0500

there are two things this Congress has not shown the courage to do - stand up to the president on FISA and on war funding.

With FISA, Democrats are so afraid that another successful attack in this country will then be attached to the lack of a full blown spy regimen, they caved on the issue. Selling out our ideals and our freedom for some abstract illusion of safety is foolhardy and reckless.

nelle