Justice Dept. Opens Inquiry Into Leak

[Guest Game of Chance]

In the words of a close friend of mine..."These guys are great. They break the law. They get caught. Then they try to bust the people who ratted them out."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/30/national...agewanted=print

[The_Dark]

What law did they break exactly? I ask this because there are various laws that make what they were doing legal. Laws that were put in place years before Bush came into office. This was/is a rarely used tool to protect us that the bad guys didn;t know about. Clinton did it, Bush Sr. did it, and you can keep on going back for as long as we have had phones. Before we had phones, they read your mail.

Even if it is illegal.. whats the larger crime? Spying on a few suspected terrorists or Passing information to the enemy in a time of war? See, one of them gets you hanged and the other gets you a slap on the wrist.

[Guest Game of Chance]

What law did they break exactly? I ask this because there are various laws that make what they were doing legal. Laws that were put in place years before Bush came into office. This was/is a rarely used tool to protect us that the bad guys didn;t know about. Clinton did it, Bush Sr. did it, and you can keep on going back for as long as we have had phones. Before we had phones, they read your mail.

Even if it is illegal.. whats the larger crime? Spying on a few suspected terrorists or Passing information to the enemy in a time of war? See, one of them gets you hanged and the other gets you a slap on the wrist.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Privacy Act of 1974. Thank you Tricky Dicky.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privacy_Act_of_1974

I don't care who did it. Its illegal and its one of the few laws that I'm proud that this country has. THEY DIDN'T OBTAIN A COURT ORDER.

Are you so sure that its just "terrorists" that they're spying on?

[Guest Game of Chance]

I take back my previous post. Upon further review, the USA Act of 2001 may allow for domestic spying. Wow....we live in a fucked up world.

[The_Dark]

There are also legal experts who say there is provision in a 1968 law for federal agents to conduct warrantless electronic surveillance for up to 48 hours before going to court, where there are conspiratorial activities threatening "national security".

[Guest Game of Chance]

It makes me a bit nervous. Next they'll be taking our guns away.

[phee]

It makes me a bit nervous.  Next they'll be taking our guns away.

Guns are bad

[Guest Game of Chance]

Not if you're being physically assaulted or desire to revolt against an oppresive regime. The latter is why the second amendment exists. Remember the minutemen from the Revolutionary War?

[phee]

Not if you're being physically assaulted or desire to revolt against an oppresive regime.  The latter is why the second amendment exists.  Remember the minutemen from the Revolutionary War?

Guns make it easy to kill people

[Guest Game of Chance]

Indeed. That's rather the point, isn't it?

[phee]

Guns that other people have make it easier for them to kill me

[Guest Game of Chance]

They're less likely to do so if they think that you might have one too.

[phee]

They're less likely to do so if they think that you might have one too.

So the more weapons that the world has the safer it is?

[Guest Game of Chance]

No. The more freedoms it has the better it is.

[phee]

So if people have more freedom to own weapons the safer I am?

[Guest Game of Chance]

Maybe, maybe not. But you certainly have more freedom. Isn't that what this country was founded on?

[phee]

Nope

[Guest Game of Chance]

I guess you and I read different history books.

[phee]

Freedom to own firearms unfortunatly means freedom for Psychos and Postal people as well... *sigh*

[phee]

I guess you and I read different history books.

I know some native americans/african americans who definitly do not think the country was founded on freedom... I think like most county was founded on economics... The "freedom" that it was founded on was for a specific racial/social class that was actually in the minority at that time...

[Guest Game of Chance]

Freedom to own firearms unfortunatly means freedom for Psychos and Postal people as well... *sigh*

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I fear my rights being stripped away more than I fear death.

[phee]

I fear my rights being stripped away more than I fear death.

I can't use my rights if Jethro saw me standing next to a black guy and blew my head off

[Guest Game of Chance]

Jethro is less likely to do so if he thinks you have a gun. And...if you have a gun, you also have the ability to shoot Jethro first.

[phee]

Jethro is less likely to do so if he thinks you have a gun.  And...if you have a gun, you also have the ability to shoot Jethro first.

(I apologize I am having a bad day)

BUT...

The logic that more guns equals peace just doesn't seem to make sense....

[Guest Game of Chance]

Its not about peace at all. Its about personal freedoms. Peace or not...we should be allowed to own them. If nothing else but for protection against our own government.