To: President Donald Trump, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
Petition to Repeal the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 - an Act that is a direct assault on our freedom
Whereas, the United States Declaration of Independence states – “...governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed;” and
Whereas, Article 1, Section 9, Paragraph 2 of the US Constitution protects the time honored right to the Writ of Habeas Corpus; and
Whereas the US Bill of Rights protects the rights of free speech, of the press, to peaceable assembly, to petition the government for a redress of grievances and the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures except upon the issue of warrants based on probable cause, and supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized;” and
Whereas, the “War on Terror” is being used to turn the United States of America into a battleground in which citizens are seen as suspects and enemy combatants; and
Whereas, the primary tool in the “War on Terror” is the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001; and
Whereas, The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 violates the US Constitution for the following reasons –
1. Section 215 violates the 4th Amendment to the US Constitution in that it allows the FBI to obtain warrants without probable cause. This can include warrants for surveillance and/or the access to “any tangible thing” thereby allowing the surveillance and search innocent people based solely on the suspicion (as opposed to probable cause) that they may be involved in a crime or terrorist activity.
2. Section 505 provides for the the expanded use of FBI National Security Letters. These letters strip the recipient of the right to free speech via gag orders and the targets of these letters are stripped of 4th Amendment protections against warrant-less searches, searches lacking probable cause, and judicial review of warrants. Additionally, the targets of National Security Letters are robbed of the right to know the places to be searched and the items to be seized.
3. Its amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) promotes government secrecy – the direct antithesis to a free and open society.
4. Additionally, its amendments to FISA have paved the way for massive spying on US citizens by the National Security Agency (NSA). This spying includes, but is not limited to, the warrant-less collection of cell phone metadata on ALL US Citizens , warrant-less collection of internet search data on All US citizens, warrant-less collection of email data of ALL US citizens and the warrant-less collection of webpages visited by ALL US citizens. All of this data collection is done regardless of whether these US citizens have been involved in a crime or terrorist activity.
5. The amendments to FISA are also being used to collect the same type of data outlined in #4 on citizens of friendly nations such as Britain and France.
6. It is stripping US citizens of their 1st Amendment protected right to speak out against, and inform their fellow citizens of, government abuses to the US Constitution and turning these “whistle-blowers” into criminals and fugitives.
7. In creating a battleground in the the United States of America in the so-called “War on Terror” –- American citizens can be designated as enemy combatants making them subject to summary execution by the president of the United States thereby stripping them of their recognized right of habeas corpus and trial by jury and virtually all the rights protected by the US Constitution and Bill of Rights.
8. An additional consequence of creating a battleground in the United States is the rapid militarization of domestic sheriff and police forces through the Pentagon's donation of surplus military equipment program. This is breeding an atmosphere in which military tactics are used to carry out routine sheriff and police activity and an environment in which weaponry meant for use in a foreign war is being used against American citizens.
9. The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 is being used as the basis for the actual assassination (ordered by President Barack Obama) of American citizens abroad, thereby robbing these citizens of their recognized right of habeas corpus, trial by jury and virtually all the rights protected by the US Constitution and Bill of Rights.
10. It has helped paved the way for the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for the fiscal year of 2012 (NDAA) which authorizes the arrest of US citizens and lawful residents by military personal and the indefinite detention US citizens and lawful residents without charge or trial.
11. Additionally, the NDAA allows for the transfer of US citizens to a foreign land or entity without charge or trial and for trial by military tribunal. All of this is in direct violation of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights.
12. The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 is being used as the basis for the longest running wars in the history of the United States of America. All of these wars violate Art...
Whereas, Article 1, Section 9, Paragraph 2 of the US Constitution protects the time honored right to the Writ of Habeas Corpus; and
Whereas the US Bill of Rights protects the rights of free speech, of the press, to peaceable assembly, to petition the government for a redress of grievances and the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures except upon the issue of warrants based on probable cause, and supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized;” and
Whereas, the “War on Terror” is being used to turn the United States of America into a battleground in which citizens are seen as suspects and enemy combatants; and
Whereas, the primary tool in the “War on Terror” is the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001; and
Whereas, The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 violates the US Constitution for the following reasons –
1. Section 215 violates the 4th Amendment to the US Constitution in that it allows the FBI to obtain warrants without probable cause. This can include warrants for surveillance and/or the access to “any tangible thing” thereby allowing the surveillance and search innocent people based solely on the suspicion (as opposed to probable cause) that they may be involved in a crime or terrorist activity.
2. Section 505 provides for the the expanded use of FBI National Security Letters. These letters strip the recipient of the right to free speech via gag orders and the targets of these letters are stripped of 4th Amendment protections against warrant-less searches, searches lacking probable cause, and judicial review of warrants. Additionally, the targets of National Security Letters are robbed of the right to know the places to be searched and the items to be seized.
3. Its amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) promotes government secrecy – the direct antithesis to a free and open society.
4. Additionally, its amendments to FISA have paved the way for massive spying on US citizens by the National Security Agency (NSA). This spying includes, but is not limited to, the warrant-less collection of cell phone metadata on ALL US Citizens , warrant-less collection of internet search data on All US citizens, warrant-less collection of email data of ALL US citizens and the warrant-less collection of webpages visited by ALL US citizens. All of this data collection is done regardless of whether these US citizens have been involved in a crime or terrorist activity.
5. The amendments to FISA are also being used to collect the same type of data outlined in #4 on citizens of friendly nations such as Britain and France.
6. It is stripping US citizens of their 1st Amendment protected right to speak out against, and inform their fellow citizens of, government abuses to the US Constitution and turning these “whistle-blowers” into criminals and fugitives.
7. In creating a battleground in the the United States of America in the so-called “War on Terror” –- American citizens can be designated as enemy combatants making them subject to summary execution by the president of the United States thereby stripping them of their recognized right of habeas corpus and trial by jury and virtually all the rights protected by the US Constitution and Bill of Rights.
8. An additional consequence of creating a battleground in the United States is the rapid militarization of domestic sheriff and police forces through the Pentagon's donation of surplus military equipment program. This is breeding an atmosphere in which military tactics are used to carry out routine sheriff and police activity and an environment in which weaponry meant for use in a foreign war is being used against American citizens.
9. The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 is being used as the basis for the actual assassination (ordered by President Barack Obama) of American citizens abroad, thereby robbing these citizens of their recognized right of habeas corpus, trial by jury and virtually all the rights protected by the US Constitution and Bill of Rights.
10. It has helped paved the way for the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for the fiscal year of 2012 (NDAA) which authorizes the arrest of US citizens and lawful residents by military personal and the indefinite detention US citizens and lawful residents without charge or trial.
11. Additionally, the NDAA allows for the transfer of US citizens to a foreign land or entity without charge or trial and for trial by military tribunal. All of this is in direct violation of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights.
12. The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 is being used as the basis for the longest running wars in the history of the United States of America. All of these wars violate Art...
Why is this important?
Since the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 was signed into law, Americans have seen a steady assault on and erosion of our constitutionally protected rights. These assaults range from NSA spying and warrant-less searches based on suspicion alone to the rapid militarization of local sheriff and police departments.
The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 is the root of all these assaults. Together, let us uproot this abominable tree!
Take action and peaceably petition our government for a redress of grievances and sign this petition demanding that they repeal the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 and end this assault on the constitutionally protected rights of all Americans.
The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 is the root of all these assaults. Together, let us uproot this abominable tree!
Take action and peaceably petition our government for a redress of grievances and sign this petition demanding that they repeal the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 and end this assault on the constitutionally protected rights of all Americans.