2021-02-15 19:12:28 -0500
To: President Joseph R Biden, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
Return Our Inalienable Rights! Stop Unwarranted NSA Domestic Eavesdropping!
We citizens of the United States of America petition, propose, and demand that:
There be established a permanent special court, like the United States Tax Court, whose members are confirmed by the Senate for terms that allow them to become real experts in the subject; and that
This new court inform the public about the nature of its cases and its record of approvals and denials; and that
This new court summon special attorneys to test the government's evidence in every case, so that the full court hears genuine adversarial debate before intruding on a citizen's civil rights.
There be established a permanent special court, like the United States Tax Court, whose members are confirmed by the Senate for terms that allow them to become real experts in the subject; and that
This new court inform the public about the nature of its cases and its record of approvals and denials; and that
This new court summon special attorneys to test the government's evidence in every case, so that the full court hears genuine adversarial debate before intruding on a citizen's civil rights.
Why is this important?
Whereas our U. S. Supreme Court in Katz v. U.S. (1967) held that warrant-less electronic surveillance is unconstitutional because it violates an individual's right to be protected from unreasonable searches and seizures; and,
Whereas the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA), operating in secret, authorizes the scrutiny of more Americans than foreigners; and,
Whereas the evidence presented to that court presently lacks any real challenge; and,
Whereas only a handful of FISA warrant requests have ever been turned down; and,
Whereas most federal judges are predisposed to defer to executive claims of national security; and,
Whereas these judges are generalists with little experience in evaluating intelligence; and,
Whereas these same judges are reluctant to hamper government operatives sworn to defend the nation; and,
Whereas the same reluctance is evident among members of Congress who pose as watchdogs but melt when they hear appeals to patriotism from the managers of the intelligence services; and,
Whereas the data hauling by our government's intelligence services has gone on for years without real challenge or even question; and,
Whereas much of this government snooping is farmed out to profit-seeking corporations that have great appetites for government contracts, secured through executives who enrich themselves by shuttling between agency jobs and the contractors' board rooms; and,
Whereas it is widely reported that an estimated 483,000 contractor-employees now hold U.S. Top-Secret Security clearances for this work and such a large number is clearly a security risk in itself violating ‘Need-To-Know” best practices; and,
Whereas such a radical challenge to our freedoms demands serious and skeptical oversight:
We Now, therefore submit the above petition.
Whereas the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA), operating in secret, authorizes the scrutiny of more Americans than foreigners; and,
Whereas the evidence presented to that court presently lacks any real challenge; and,
Whereas only a handful of FISA warrant requests have ever been turned down; and,
Whereas most federal judges are predisposed to defer to executive claims of national security; and,
Whereas these judges are generalists with little experience in evaluating intelligence; and,
Whereas these same judges are reluctant to hamper government operatives sworn to defend the nation; and,
Whereas the same reluctance is evident among members of Congress who pose as watchdogs but melt when they hear appeals to patriotism from the managers of the intelligence services; and,
Whereas the data hauling by our government's intelligence services has gone on for years without real challenge or even question; and,
Whereas much of this government snooping is farmed out to profit-seeking corporations that have great appetites for government contracts, secured through executives who enrich themselves by shuttling between agency jobs and the contractors' board rooms; and,
Whereas it is widely reported that an estimated 483,000 contractor-employees now hold U.S. Top-Secret Security clearances for this work and such a large number is clearly a security risk in itself violating ‘Need-To-Know” best practices; and,
Whereas such a radical challenge to our freedoms demands serious and skeptical oversight:
We Now, therefore submit the above petition.
How it will be delivered
Directly to our Congress persons, US Senators, and via US Mail to President Biden.