Upon retrospect, my jubilation over the feds dropping the case in ACLU v. Gonzales (CT) was very much premature. It was focused on the relief that George Christian must have felt to know that he no longer had to keep his secret. I know George (and have even camped with him). He is the Executive Director of Library Connection, an automation consortium in the Hartford area.
Sarah Houghton (Librarian in Black) links to the ALA announcement as well as the summary of the arguments at the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. ALA President Michael Gorman is quoted as saying that the government’s timing is “highly suspicious, coming merely a month after the reauthorization of the USA Patriot Act. The American public should be outraged that the one person in the United States who could have spoken from real experience with a national security letter, and who was seeking to join the national debate, was forbidden from doing so until after that debate was complete.” And yes, I am outraged.
I actually attended the arguments in New York, and wrote about my perceptions at that time. [Unfortunately all newspaper links have expired.] Even the Washington Post links.
No comments:
Post a Comment