Our privacy and constitutional rights have eroded since Congress first passed the Patriot Act. Now is our chance to get them back.
Congress is planning to renew key parts of the Patriot Act before June 1 — including Section 215, a controversial provision that enables the government to bypass our Constitutional protections in obtaining "any tangible thing" related to a terrorism investigation.
Section 215 has allowed the US government to collect call records and scan emails and data from millions of innocent people, according to privacy advocates at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The American Civil Liberties Union says that Section 215 further undermines basic freedoms by allowing the government to bypass citizen protections under the Fourth, Fifth and First Amendments of the US Constitution.
We only have a small window to make our voices heard. Please take a stand for your constitutional rights now — sign the petition to eliminate Section 215 from the Patriot Act.
Dear Decision Maker:
As a constituent, I strongly urge you to strike Section 215 from the Patriot Act, which allows the government to obtain "any tangible thing" related to a terrorism investigation. I also urge you to prohibit warrantless wiretaps and bulk collection of email and phone data by the NSA or FBI.
[Your comments]
On June 1, key provisions of the Patriot Act are set to expire, including Section 215. This represents your best opportunity to restore basic rights guaranteed to Americans under the Fourth, Fifth and First Amendments of the US Constitution.
I hope you will eliminate Section 215 of the Patriot Act and to do your part to restore the Constitutional rights of Americans like me.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
