FOIA MAKES YOU BIG BROTHER

Using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) turns the tide on government and lets American citizens become Big Brother for a day. I did it once to get some information from the FTC on one of their private meetings on mailing list brokers. It’s very organized and legal-like, so if you follow procedures, everything should work out fine. Nat Hentoff did an article, “Spying on Big Brother,” in the Village Voice back in December of 2006. He quoted a statement by serious humorist Dave Barry: “As Americans we must always remember that we all have a common enemy, an enemy that is dangerous, powerful and relentless. I refer, of course, to the federal government.” Funny…but true. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has initiated a program called “Spy Files Campaign” that assists activist groups in learning what information the government is holding on them. One of Hentoff’s discoveries was the fact that the FBI has “…long been deeply suspicious of Quakers.” If you are interested in learning what Big Brother Bush and his cronies know about you, or an organization you are affiliated with, go to aclu.org/spyfiles. Remember, it was Bush that told us on September 12, 2001, “We will not allow this enemy to win the war by changing our way of life or restricting our freedoms.”