Activists accuse federal agents of local snooping
Santa Monica joined nine other California cities Tuesday calling on the federal government to repeal the USA Patriot Act.
Local librarians were forced last year by federal agents to turn over lists of what patrons were checking out, a right awarded to law enforcement personnel under the USA Patriot Act, which was signed into law by President George Bush on Oct. 21, 2001.
“Our Santa Monica public librarians have been strong-armed for reader records by the FBI,” said Mayor Pro Tem Kevin McKeown. “To their credit, they said ‘no way’ without a specific subpoena.”
The incident sparked community protest. Santa Monica librarians are now considering posting signs near check-out counters warning patrons that federal officials can find out what they are reading.
It increases the powers of federal agencies like the FBI to spy on Americans’ e-mail and telephone conversations. The act allows for racial profiling by federal law enforcement agencies, as well as the detention of those suspected of crimes against the state for up to six months.
Also, the act allows ethnic profiling, the denial of rights to some detainees and permits law enforcement agencies access to records of books people purchase, or take out of the library.
“Meanwhile, we’ll be posting signs warning everyone from school kids to senior citizens that their reading and Internet habits may be spied upon,” said McKeown. “How dare the Bush Administration look over our shoulders?”
Already Arcata, West Hollywood, Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Fairfax, Point Arena and Sebastopol, as well as Yolo County, have passed resolutions opposing the USA Patriot Act and calling for its repeal.
Civil liberty activists said that fear after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks lead Americans to believe they had to give up personal freedoms in exchange for better protection and safety. But now many Americans realize that trade-off doesn’t have to be made, activists say.
“The USA Patriot Act is wrapped up in enough red, white and blue to strangle its citizens,” said Jan Goodman, a Santa Monica resident and member of Southern California Americans for Democratic Action. “And that’s exactly what it’s doing. It’s strangling out civil liberties.”
“The USA Patriot Act is wrapped up in enough red, white and blue to strangle its citizens.” — — JAN GOODMAN Santa Monica resident
But not every resident was in favor of the council’s action. Dr. Michael Gruning, a Santa Monica resident and businessman who is president-elect of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, said the council had no authority to comment on foreign policy.
Besides, the USA Patriot Act is a necessary tool in the battle against international terrorists, he said.
4CF,“These are exceptional times and law enforcement needs the flexibility to deal with these individuals who mean us harm,” Gruning said. “These individuals do not play by the traditional rules, and they intend to use any means possible to exact great damage to our way of life.”
Others at the meeting told the council they worry about “secret police” arresting neighbors in the middle of the night with little or no warning. They said the act would allow the government to create concentration camps and give federal officers unfettered access to personal and financial information on any American.
While some council members said those fears may not be realistic, they agreed the threat to personal freedoms and liberty is being threatened on a local level and called for local action.
“This threat is greater in the long-run for this country than possibly any other we face,” said Councilman Ken Genser. “We expect the Constitution to be upheld in this community and we place that... as one of the highest of our local concerns.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 13, 2003. Read the original PDF.