<div dir="ltr"><div><a href="http://www.districtdispatch.org/2013/12/nsa-surveillance-examined-3-branches/">http://www.districtdispatch.org/2013/12/nsa-surveillance-examined-3-branches/</a></div><div><br></div><div><h1>NSA surveillance examined by all 3 branches</h1>
<div><span>Posted on </span><span><font color="#0066cc">December 18, 2013</font></span><span> by </span><span><font color="#0066cc">Jazzy Wright</font></span><span> </span> </div> <div><div id="attachment_11151" style="width:310px">
<p>U.S. Captiol by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/zeldman/9441364082/sizes/c/in/photostream/"><font color="#0066cc">Jeffrey</font></a> via flickr.</p></div><p><span style="line-height:1.5em">Reforms to the National Security Agency’s massive unconstitutional surveillance program may soon be underway. For the first time ever, the surveillance reform debate can be enjoined in all branches of government.</span></p>
<p>“The District Court ruling is the first time that a court or government agency has questioned the constitutionality of the surveillance program since news of the NSA phone collecting program leaked in June,” said American Library Association President Barbara Stripling. “While we applaud the Court’s ruling that the program is unconstitutional, we know that more work needs to be done. We continue to encourage library supporters to <a title="Link" href="http://www.ala.org/takeaction" target="_blank"><font color="#0066cc">support </font></a>the USA Freedom Act.”</p>
<h3>Executive Branch</h3><p>Late this afternoon, President Obama’s Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies released a <a title="Link" href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2013-12-12_rg_final_report.pdf" target="_blank"><font color="#0066cc">report </font></a>calling for transparency, online security tools, and organizational reforms to the NSA.</p>
<h3>Legislative Branch</h3><p>Today, the American Library Association <a title="Link" href="https://www.eff.org/files/2013/12/18/54-orgs-against-fia.pdf" target="_blank"><font color="#0066cc">joined </font></a>more than 50 businesses, civil liberties and public interest groups in opposing the FISA Improvements Act, a bill that seeks to legalize and extend NSA mass surveillance programs. Opposers to the bill include the American Civil Liberties Union, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, PEN American Center, TechFreedom, and others.</p>
<h3>Judicial Branch</h3><p>This week, the D.C. District Court judge ruled that the National Security Agency’s surveillance practices on millions of unsuspecting Americans may be unconstitutional. In the ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon found the surveillance practices to be an “indiscriminate” and “arbitrary invasion” of personal data on Americans. In addition to finding that the program violates First and Fourth Amendments guaranteed by the Constitution, Judge Leon also examined the ineffectiveness of the NSA program in preventing terrorism.</p>
<p>The American Library Association―an organization dedicated to protecting civil liberties including First amendment and privacy rights―has <a title="Link" href="http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2013/06/ala-calls-national-dialogue-reform-nation’s-surveillance-laws" target="_blank"><font color="#0066cc">called </font></a>for more government transparency and public accountability.</p>
</div></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.districtdispatch.org/2013/12/nsa-surveillance-examined-3-branches/">http://www.districtdispatch.org/2013/12/nsa-surveillance-examined-3-branches/</a></div>
<div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>------------------------</div><div><br></div><div>And this is a rare comment on one of these postings from me.</div><div><br></div><div><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin:1em 0px"><font color="#000000" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I applaud ALA’s actions in this area but we really could have
gone much further.</font></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin:1em 0px"><font color="#000000" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">ALA Membership and ALA Council passed this resolution at the
ALA 2013 Conference, </font><font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><font color="#000000">Resolution in
Support of Whistleblower Edward Snowden</font><font color="#000000"> (CD #39: </font></font><a href="http://www.ala.org/aboutala/sites/ala.org.aboutala/files/content/governance/council/council_documents/2013_annual_council_docs/cd_39_edward_snowden-%28ff%29.pdf"><font color="#0000ff" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">http://www.ala.org/aboutala/sites/ala.org.aboutala/files/content/governance/council/council_documents/2013_annual_council_docs/cd_39_edward_snowden-%28ff%29.pdf</font></a><font color="#000000" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">).</font></p>
<font color="#000000" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><font color="#000000">This Resolution was
then overturned and replaced with this resolution, “</font><span style="line-height:115%"><font color="#000000">Resolution on the Need for Reforms
for the Intelligence Community to Support Privacy, Open Government, Government
Transparency, and Accountability” which is found the the Committee on
Legislation report (CD 20.4) (</font><a href="http://www.ala.org/aboutala/sites/ala.org.aboutala/files/content/governance/council/council_documents/2013_annual_council_docs/cd_20_3_COL%20report%20FINAL.pdf"><font color="#0000ff">http://www.ala.org/aboutala/sites/ala.org.aboutala/files/content/governance/council/council_documents/2013_annual_council_docs/cd_20_3_COL%20report%20FINAL.pdf</font></a><font color="#000000">)
and in the Intellectual Freedom Committee report (CD #19.2) (</font><a href="http://www.ala.org/aboutala/sites/ala.org.aboutala/files/content/governance/council/council_documents/2013_annual_council_docs/cd_19_1_ifc_report%20%28final%29.pdf"><font color="#0000ff">http://www.ala.org/aboutala/sites/ala.org.aboutala/files/content/governance/council/council_documents/2013_annual_council_docs/cd_19_1_ifc_report%20%28final%29.pdf</font></a><font color="#000000">).</font></span></font></p>
<font color="#000000" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
</font><p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt"><span style="line-height:115%"><font color="#000000" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The
replacement resolution was a fine resolution but was not much different from
many of the resolutions previously passed by ALA Council. It also, once again, put ALA in the position
of not actually supporting an individual whistleblower by name.</font></span></p><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br clear="all"><br>-- <br></div><div><em><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS"">Diedre Conkling</span></em><i><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS""><br>
<em><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS"">Lincoln County Library District</span></em><br><em><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS"">P.O. Box 2027</span></em><br><em><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS"">Newport, OR 97365</span></em><br>
<em><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS"">Phone & Fax: 541-265-3066</span></em><br><em><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS"">Work email</span></em></span></i><em><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";font-style:normal">: </span></em><a href="mailto:diedre@lincolncolibrarydist.org" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS""><font color="#0000ff">diedre@lincolncolibrarydist.org</font></span></i></a><i><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS""><br>
<em><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS"">Home email: </span></em></span></i><a href="mailto:diedre08@gmail.com" target="_blank"><em><span style="color:blue;font-family:"Comic Sans MS"">diedre08@gmail.com</span></em></a></div>
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<span>“If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.”―Maya Angelou</span><span></span></h6><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";font-size:10pt"></span></div>
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