US Spooks Spying on Americans

Barry, My Liege:

This is for CIA Director David Petraeus, but y'all can read it.

Hey Dave:

Well, it's pretty likely that I am on a list somewhere of 'persons of interest'.

I am critical of your government.

That will make the CIA, FBI and NSA suspicious.

So, listen up, spook dudes:

Here's the deal -

I am a natural born American citizen. I can trace my family back to Plymouth, Massachussets in the early 1600's.

Mostly I obey most laws. Sometimes when I am sure there is no traffic coming, I roll through a stop sign. Stuff like that.

I'm kind of a history buff and I like to pay attention to the US Constitution; I can't recite it, but usually I can tell when it's being screwed over.

And you, the CIA, FBI and NSA dudes and dudettes, are doing a big screw over of the US Constitution right now.

That's right, I am calling you out.

Y'all need to prove that your brand new Utah 'data center' [http://rt.com/news/utah-data-center-spy-789/] is NOT a system to spy on all American citizens in direct violation of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution.

'The Fourth Amendment (Amendment IV) to the United States Constitution is the part of the Bill of Rights which guards against unreasonable searches and seizures, along with requiring any warrant to be judicially sanctioned and supported by probable cause. It was adopted as a response to the abuse of the writ of assistance, which is a type of general search warrant, in the American Revolution. Search and arrest should be limited in scope according to specific information supplied to the issuing court, usually by a law enforcement officer, who has sworn by it.'

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution]

What is blindingly apparent is that you - the CIA, FBI and NSA - are systematically trampling our Constitutional rights.

So, here's the deal: You spook dudes need to go on the talk shows and tell us exactly what you do and how you do it. Because if you don't do that, then we have to trust you to do the right thing.

And, you know what - NOBODY TRUSTS YOU.

NOBODY.

Now, you're gonna go all:
'We can't tell anybody what we do or how we do it because then Osama bin Laden and Al Queda will know our secrets and they will attack us. So, you must trust us to do our jobs.'

Couple things.

One, OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD.

DEAD.

Read the damn newspapers.

Two, we do NOT trust you.

Three, YOU HAVE NO SECRETS.

We already know that you spy on us and we know pretty much know how you do it. The CIA Director says 'We'll spy on you through your dishwasher.' Read it here: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/03/petraeus-tv-remote/#more-76086

Four, OK that's more than a couple.

Four, any idiot already knows how to create terror in the USA: Grab a machine gun at any legal gun show and go to a mass transit and blast away.

As far as stopping organized terror from domestic or foreign agents, what stops them is good old fashioned police work.

If you have any evidence that your spying has caught anybody or prevented anything, y'all better produce it - because your escalating covert activities are destroying our trust of the entire government.

Could you have warned of the attack on Gabrielle Giffords? I really doubt it. And, if you can't do that, what good are you?

Fifth, and most importantly: You do NOT have permission to collect data from me. I specifically and categorically refuse permission to collect any personal data without my express and written agreement.

Remember that any effective government rests on the consent of the governed to obey the laws. Any law that is universally ignored has no effect on the population or society.

It's way time to rein in you domestic spooks. You gotta prove you're respecting the Constitution and that you're worth the money. I don't think you are.

I look forward to hearing your justification of your actions.

UPDATE - Mary Schapiro Says 'Fix it.' HR3606

Barry, My Liege:

Securities and Exchange Commission Chairwoman Mary Schapiro has urged Senate leaders to "improve investor protections"in HR3606.

Holy Cow. What do y'all need anyways.

Gimme me some pepper spray and a flight to DC.

Y'all been suckered, hoodwinked and made fools.

Them bankers are at it again.

Y'all bout to pass a bill which will open up the pigpen and let the bankers run wild.

Gotta stop it.

It's gotta be deep sixed - soon, like tomorrow, Monday March 12, 2012.

'Under the guise of creating jobs, the House bill [HR3606] would make it easier for companies to raise money from the public without fulfilling some - or in certain cases virtually all - of the obligations designed to protect investors in public companies. However, there is no requirement or guarantee that companies would use any of the money to hire a single person.

...Columbia Law School Professor John Coffee has nicknamed the bill's crowd-funding provision, which would let private companies raise money from mom-and-pop investors over the Internet, the "boiler room legalization act."'

That's from Kathleen Pender; here's the link: http://www.sfgate.com/columns/networth/

My Liege, we have to do better than this.

Your faithful servant,