In the news: Free to Read What We Want?
Peggy
All over the country booksellers are concerned about the implications of
Patriot Act on the personal freedoms of all Americans. Morley Horder, owner of
a family owned bookstore Eagle Harbor Book Company had this to say on October
25th:
Peggy
___________
A freedom sold is very difficult to buy back again
Morley Horder - WorkingForChange
10.25.02 - Last month, on September 11, Leif Enger, author of Peace Like a
River, came to read at Eagle Harbor Book Co. I spoke with Leif a few days
before and we both agreed that we could add little to the cacophony of voices
remembering the events of one year prior. However, I told Leif I wanted to
begin with a few words, though I didn't yet know what they would be.
On the morning of the reading, I didn't go to work, but went, instead, to my
boat. I meant to stay for a few minutes, but I ended up spending the entire
day thinking and writing. I realized there was something very, very important
being ignored. Something that had to be said, something that, on September 11,
2002 would be difficult to say. This is what I said to the audience that
night:
Hi. Thank you all for coming. I'm Morley Horder and my family and I own Eagle
Harbor Book Co. I'd like to begin this evening with a moment of silence...
Freedom. Freedom of speech, of association, of religion. Freedom to think what
we want, to write and to publish what we want, to believe what we want, to say
what we want, and, yes, to read what we want - in complete privacy.
Freedom is a cornerstone of our America. Today, in a rapidly changing world,
where fear has arrived in America, we face choices that may fundamentally
change our country forever: choices to limit personal freedom in the name of
public security. This is not the first time we have made such choices. Twenty
years ago, for example, we embraced airport security checks with little
debate. Recently, we have been told we may not board our local ferries if we
are not willing to submit to random searches. Next, we may choose to give up
the right to cross our bridges or to enter our buildings without being
checked.
These decisions -- to limit our personal freedoms for the security of the
whole -- will be loudly debated, as they should be. We will clearly understand
the price we are paying in the loss of our personal freedom and feel the
security we gain in return.
What concerns me, however, are recent decisions made without significant
public debate, the unintended effects of which are not so easily measurable.
The purpose -- increased public security -- has been hailed, while the
unintended result -- erosion of freedom -- has been largely ignored, or,
perhaps, considered worth the cost.
An example is the Patriot Act, passed in October 2001. The Patriot Act was
created by good people for a good purpose: increased security for all
Americans.
Under the Patriot Act, the FBI can obtain court orders to monitor anyone it
thinks may have information relevant to an anti-terrorism investigation,
including American citizens who are not themselves suspected of criminal
activity.
Of particular concern to me is Section 215 of the Patriot Act.
Normally, when a bookseller receives a subpoena for customer information, he
or she has the opportunity to ask the court to quash the order on First
Amendment grounds. In several cases, booksellers have successfully resisted
subpoenas.
Under Section 215, however, booksellers may not have this chance.
Depending on the wording of the order, the bookseller may be required to
immediately turn over the records that are being sought. In addition, there is
a gag provision preventing booksellers from alerting anyone that they have
received such an order, making it nearly impossible to determine whether this
new power is being used... or abused.
The Justice Department has refused to release any information about subpoenas
issued -- despite repeated requests by the House Judiciary Committee. We know,
anecdotally, that subpoenas have been issued. But we do not know how many
times, when, or for what reason.
Eagle Harbor Book Co. has never tracked customer purchases. We do, however,
keep certain records required by law. And those records, unless the
transaction is in cash, could be used to connect a customer with his or her
purchases.
Perhaps this law makes us more secure. That is very difficult to quantify.
But our right to read what we want, and, by extension, to think, to believe,
and to say what we want, in complete privacy has clearly been eroded.
These are fundamental rights that define America, and they are being sold --
traded -- for the promise of security. Such small, often unnoticed choices to
limit our personal freedoms -- usually made with good intention --
incrementally, inevitably, change our nation. Such decisions may be necessary
in this changed world, but I urge you all to consider very carefully before
giving your support. A freedom that has been sold is very, very difficult to
buy back again. I don't want my children or grandchildren to look back 50
years from now and say, "This used to be a free country-- what happened?"
We will face many more such important decisions in the coming months and
years. If this or other losses of personal freedom and privacy concern you,
please, speak with your congressperson. Talk with your neighbors, your
children. Write your newspaper. Contact your local independent bookstore.
Please, don't let decisions with such far-reaching results be made without
your input.
Thank you.
A postscript: Leif Enger attracted nearly 100 people that night. He spoke
eloquently and it was a very special evening for all. My thanks to the
American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE.ORG) for
information about the USA Patriot Act.
Copyright © 2002 Morley Horder
URL: http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=13979
Patriot Act on the personal freedoms of all Americans. Morley Horder, owner of
a family owned bookstore Eagle Harbor Book Company had this to say on October
25th:
Peggy
___________
A freedom sold is very difficult to buy back again
Morley Horder - WorkingForChange
10.25.02 - Last month, on September 11, Leif Enger, author of Peace Like a
River, came to read at Eagle Harbor Book Co. I spoke with Leif a few days
before and we both agreed that we could add little to the cacophony of voices
remembering the events of one year prior. However, I told Leif I wanted to
begin with a few words, though I didn't yet know what they would be.
On the morning of the reading, I didn't go to work, but went, instead, to my
boat. I meant to stay for a few minutes, but I ended up spending the entire
day thinking and writing. I realized there was something very, very important
being ignored. Something that had to be said, something that, on September 11,
2002 would be difficult to say. This is what I said to the audience that
night:
Hi. Thank you all for coming. I'm Morley Horder and my family and I own Eagle
Harbor Book Co. I'd like to begin this evening with a moment of silence...
Freedom. Freedom of speech, of association, of religion. Freedom to think what
we want, to write and to publish what we want, to believe what we want, to say
what we want, and, yes, to read what we want - in complete privacy.
Freedom is a cornerstone of our America. Today, in a rapidly changing world,
where fear has arrived in America, we face choices that may fundamentally
change our country forever: choices to limit personal freedom in the name of
public security. This is not the first time we have made such choices. Twenty
years ago, for example, we embraced airport security checks with little
debate. Recently, we have been told we may not board our local ferries if we
are not willing to submit to random searches. Next, we may choose to give up
the right to cross our bridges or to enter our buildings without being
checked.
These decisions -- to limit our personal freedoms for the security of the
whole -- will be loudly debated, as they should be. We will clearly understand
the price we are paying in the loss of our personal freedom and feel the
security we gain in return.
What concerns me, however, are recent decisions made without significant
public debate, the unintended effects of which are not so easily measurable.
The purpose -- increased public security -- has been hailed, while the
unintended result -- erosion of freedom -- has been largely ignored, or,
perhaps, considered worth the cost.
An example is the Patriot Act, passed in October 2001. The Patriot Act was
created by good people for a good purpose: increased security for all
Americans.
Under the Patriot Act, the FBI can obtain court orders to monitor anyone it
thinks may have information relevant to an anti-terrorism investigation,
including American citizens who are not themselves suspected of criminal
activity.
Of particular concern to me is Section 215 of the Patriot Act.
Normally, when a bookseller receives a subpoena for customer information, he
or she has the opportunity to ask the court to quash the order on First
Amendment grounds. In several cases, booksellers have successfully resisted
subpoenas.
Under Section 215, however, booksellers may not have this chance.
Depending on the wording of the order, the bookseller may be required to
immediately turn over the records that are being sought. In addition, there is
a gag provision preventing booksellers from alerting anyone that they have
received such an order, making it nearly impossible to determine whether this
new power is being used... or abused.
The Justice Department has refused to release any information about subpoenas
issued -- despite repeated requests by the House Judiciary Committee. We know,
anecdotally, that subpoenas have been issued. But we do not know how many
times, when, or for what reason.
Eagle Harbor Book Co. has never tracked customer purchases. We do, however,
keep certain records required by law. And those records, unless the
transaction is in cash, could be used to connect a customer with his or her
purchases.
Perhaps this law makes us more secure. That is very difficult to quantify.
But our right to read what we want, and, by extension, to think, to believe,
and to say what we want, in complete privacy has clearly been eroded.
These are fundamental rights that define America, and they are being sold --
traded -- for the promise of security. Such small, often unnoticed choices to
limit our personal freedoms -- usually made with good intention --
incrementally, inevitably, change our nation. Such decisions may be necessary
in this changed world, but I urge you all to consider very carefully before
giving your support. A freedom that has been sold is very, very difficult to
buy back again. I don't want my children or grandchildren to look back 50
years from now and say, "This used to be a free country-- what happened?"
We will face many more such important decisions in the coming months and
years. If this or other losses of personal freedom and privacy concern you,
please, speak with your congressperson. Talk with your neighbors, your
children. Write your newspaper. Contact your local independent bookstore.
Please, don't let decisions with such far-reaching results be made without
your input.
Thank you.
A postscript: Leif Enger attracted nearly 100 people that night. He spoke
eloquently and it was a very special evening for all. My thanks to the
American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE.ORG) for
information about the USA Patriot Act.
Copyright © 2002 Morley Horder
URL: http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=13979
Kelli Traaseth
This is great Peggy!
I was just talking with a woman who knows Leif and his wife,(they live just a bit from me) They homeschool their kids, I don't know what kind-of homeschool, but he's a great guy.
If anyone is looking for a good read, this is one! A great one for young adults, lots of great discussion material.
I'm planning on giving the book out to my siblings as soon as I find them at a good price.
Take Care, Kelli
Peggy <peggy@...> wrote:All over the country booksellers are concerned about the implications of
Patriot Act on the personal freedoms of all Americans. Morley Horder, owner of
a family owned bookstore Eagle Harbor Book Company had this to say on October
25th:
Peggy
___________
A freedom sold is very difficult to buy back again
Morley Horder - WorkingForChange
10.25.02 - Last month, on September 11, Leif Enger, author of Peace Like a
River, came to read at Eagle Harbor Book Co. I spoke with Leif a few days
before and we both agreed that we could add little to the cacophony of voices
remembering the events of one year prior. However, I told Leif I wanted to
begin with a few words, though I didn't yet know what they would be.
On the morning of the reading, I didn't go to work, but went, instead, to my
boat. I meant to stay for a few minutes, but I ended up spending the entire
day thinking and writing. I realized there was something very, very important
being ignored. Something that had to be said, something that, on September 11,
2002 would be difficult to say. This is what I said to the audience that
night:
Hi. Thank you all for coming. I'm Morley Horder and my family and I own Eagle
Harbor Book Co. I'd like to begin this evening with a moment of silence...
Freedom. Freedom of speech, of association, of religion. Freedom to think what
we want, to write and to publish what we want, to believe what we want, to say
what we want, and, yes, to read what we want - in complete privacy.
Freedom is a cornerstone of our America. Today, in a rapidly changing world,
where fear has arrived in America, we face choices that may fundamentally
change our country forever: choices to limit personal freedom in the name of
public security. This is not the first time we have made such choices. Twenty
years ago, for example, we embraced airport security checks with little
debate. Recently, we have been told we may not board our local ferries if we
are not willing to submit to random searches. Next, we may choose to give up
the right to cross our bridges or to enter our buildings without being
checked.
These decisions -- to limit our personal freedoms for the security of the
whole -- will be loudly debated, as they should be. We will clearly understand
the price we are paying in the loss of our personal freedom and feel the
security we gain in return.
What concerns me, however, are recent decisions made without significant
public debate, the unintended effects of which are not so easily measurable.
The purpose -- increased public security -- has been hailed, while the
unintended result -- erosion of freedom -- has been largely ignored, or,
perhaps, considered worth the cost.
An example is the Patriot Act, passed in October 2001. The Patriot Act was
created by good people for a good purpose: increased security for all
Americans.
Under the Patriot Act, the FBI can obtain court orders to monitor anyone it
thinks may have information relevant to an anti-terrorism investigation,
including American citizens who are not themselves suspected of criminal
activity.
Of particular concern to me is Section 215 of the Patriot Act.
Normally, when a bookseller receives a subpoena for customer information, he
or she has the opportunity to ask the court to quash the order on First
Amendment grounds. In several cases, booksellers have successfully resisted
subpoenas.
Under Section 215, however, booksellers may not have this chance.
Depending on the wording of the order, the bookseller may be required to
immediately turn over the records that are being sought. In addition, there is
a gag provision preventing booksellers from alerting anyone that they have
received such an order, making it nearly impossible to determine whether this
new power is being used... or abused.
The Justice Department has refused to release any information about subpoenas
issued -- despite repeated requests by the House Judiciary Committee. We know,
anecdotally, that subpoenas have been issued. But we do not know how many
times, when, or for what reason.
Eagle Harbor Book Co. has never tracked customer purchases. We do, however,
keep certain records required by law. And those records, unless the
transaction is in cash, could be used to connect a customer with his or her
purchases.
Perhaps this law makes us more secure. That is very difficult to quantify.
But our right to read what we want, and, by extension, to think, to believe,
and to say what we want, in complete privacy has clearly been eroded.
These are fundamental rights that define America, and they are being sold --
traded -- for the promise of security. Such small, often unnoticed choices to
limit our personal freedoms -- usually made with good intention --
incrementally, inevitably, change our nation. Such decisions may be necessary
in this changed world, but I urge you all to consider very carefully before
giving your support. A freedom that has been sold is very, very difficult to
buy back again. I don't want my children or grandchildren to look back 50
years from now and say, "This used to be a free country-- what happened?"
We will face many more such important decisions in the coming months and
years. If this or other losses of personal freedom and privacy concern you,
please, speak with your congressperson. Talk with your neighbors, your
children. Write your newspaper. Contact your local independent bookstore.
Please, don't let decisions with such far-reaching results be made without
your input.
Thank you.
A postscript: Leif Enger attracted nearly 100 people that night. He spoke
eloquently and it was a very special evening for all. My thanks to the
American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE.ORG) for
information about the USA Patriot Act.
Copyright � 2002 Morley Horder
URL: http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=13979
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I was just talking with a woman who knows Leif and his wife,(they live just a bit from me) They homeschool their kids, I don't know what kind-of homeschool, but he's a great guy.
If anyone is looking for a good read, this is one! A great one for young adults, lots of great discussion material.
I'm planning on giving the book out to my siblings as soon as I find them at a good price.
Take Care, Kelli
Peggy <peggy@...> wrote:All over the country booksellers are concerned about the implications of
Patriot Act on the personal freedoms of all Americans. Morley Horder, owner of
a family owned bookstore Eagle Harbor Book Company had this to say on October
25th:
Peggy
___________
A freedom sold is very difficult to buy back again
Morley Horder - WorkingForChange
10.25.02 - Last month, on September 11, Leif Enger, author of Peace Like a
River, came to read at Eagle Harbor Book Co. I spoke with Leif a few days
before and we both agreed that we could add little to the cacophony of voices
remembering the events of one year prior. However, I told Leif I wanted to
begin with a few words, though I didn't yet know what they would be.
On the morning of the reading, I didn't go to work, but went, instead, to my
boat. I meant to stay for a few minutes, but I ended up spending the entire
day thinking and writing. I realized there was something very, very important
being ignored. Something that had to be said, something that, on September 11,
2002 would be difficult to say. This is what I said to the audience that
night:
Hi. Thank you all for coming. I'm Morley Horder and my family and I own Eagle
Harbor Book Co. I'd like to begin this evening with a moment of silence...
Freedom. Freedom of speech, of association, of religion. Freedom to think what
we want, to write and to publish what we want, to believe what we want, to say
what we want, and, yes, to read what we want - in complete privacy.
Freedom is a cornerstone of our America. Today, in a rapidly changing world,
where fear has arrived in America, we face choices that may fundamentally
change our country forever: choices to limit personal freedom in the name of
public security. This is not the first time we have made such choices. Twenty
years ago, for example, we embraced airport security checks with little
debate. Recently, we have been told we may not board our local ferries if we
are not willing to submit to random searches. Next, we may choose to give up
the right to cross our bridges or to enter our buildings without being
checked.
These decisions -- to limit our personal freedoms for the security of the
whole -- will be loudly debated, as they should be. We will clearly understand
the price we are paying in the loss of our personal freedom and feel the
security we gain in return.
What concerns me, however, are recent decisions made without significant
public debate, the unintended effects of which are not so easily measurable.
The purpose -- increased public security -- has been hailed, while the
unintended result -- erosion of freedom -- has been largely ignored, or,
perhaps, considered worth the cost.
An example is the Patriot Act, passed in October 2001. The Patriot Act was
created by good people for a good purpose: increased security for all
Americans.
Under the Patriot Act, the FBI can obtain court orders to monitor anyone it
thinks may have information relevant to an anti-terrorism investigation,
including American citizens who are not themselves suspected of criminal
activity.
Of particular concern to me is Section 215 of the Patriot Act.
Normally, when a bookseller receives a subpoena for customer information, he
or she has the opportunity to ask the court to quash the order on First
Amendment grounds. In several cases, booksellers have successfully resisted
subpoenas.
Under Section 215, however, booksellers may not have this chance.
Depending on the wording of the order, the bookseller may be required to
immediately turn over the records that are being sought. In addition, there is
a gag provision preventing booksellers from alerting anyone that they have
received such an order, making it nearly impossible to determine whether this
new power is being used... or abused.
The Justice Department has refused to release any information about subpoenas
issued -- despite repeated requests by the House Judiciary Committee. We know,
anecdotally, that subpoenas have been issued. But we do not know how many
times, when, or for what reason.
Eagle Harbor Book Co. has never tracked customer purchases. We do, however,
keep certain records required by law. And those records, unless the
transaction is in cash, could be used to connect a customer with his or her
purchases.
Perhaps this law makes us more secure. That is very difficult to quantify.
But our right to read what we want, and, by extension, to think, to believe,
and to say what we want, in complete privacy has clearly been eroded.
These are fundamental rights that define America, and they are being sold --
traded -- for the promise of security. Such small, often unnoticed choices to
limit our personal freedoms -- usually made with good intention --
incrementally, inevitably, change our nation. Such decisions may be necessary
in this changed world, but I urge you all to consider very carefully before
giving your support. A freedom that has been sold is very, very difficult to
buy back again. I don't want my children or grandchildren to look back 50
years from now and say, "This used to be a free country-- what happened?"
We will face many more such important decisions in the coming months and
years. If this or other losses of personal freedom and privacy concern you,
please, speak with your congressperson. Talk with your neighbors, your
children. Write your newspaper. Contact your local independent bookstore.
Please, don't let decisions with such far-reaching results be made without
your input.
Thank you.
A postscript: Leif Enger attracted nearly 100 people that night. He spoke
eloquently and it was a very special evening for all. My thanks to the
American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE.ORG) for
information about the USA Patriot Act.
Copyright � 2002 Morley Horder
URL: http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=13979
Yahoo! Groups SponsorADVERTISEMENT
~~~~ Don't forget! If you change topics, change the subject line! ~~~~
If you have questions, concerns or problems with this list, please email the moderator, Joyce Fetteroll (fetteroll@...), or the list owner, Helen Hegener (HEM-Editor@...).
To unsubscribe from this group, click on the following link or address an email to:
[email protected]
Visit the Unschooling website: http://www.unschooling.com
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
---------------------------------
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]