Wednesday, September 13, 2017

ACLU sues Dept. of Homeland Security

And, in the latest depredation passing for legal legitimacy:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration has engaged in an unconstitutional practice of searching without a warrant the phones and laptops of Americans who are stopped at the border, a lawsuit filed on Wednesday alleged.
Ten U.S. citizens and one lawful permanent resident sued the Department of Homeland Security in federal court, saying the searches and prolonged confiscation of their electronic devices violate privacy and free speech protections of the U.S. Constitution.
DHS could not be immediately reached for comment.
The lawsuit comes as the number of searches of electronic devices has surged in recent years, alarming civil rights advocates.
Here's the complaint.

2 comments:

  1. Benjamin Franklin once said: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." But we've become a lazy citizenry, too busy with amusements to be an informed electorate.

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    Replies
    1. olcharlie, Ben Franklin made that assertion for the very reason you are concerned about i.e. to rouse our uninformed and / or lazy and / or fearful fellow citizens.

      I never had (or rather I cannot recall) a single teacher from kindergarten to grad school who talked about or entertained a discussion about bravery.

      I think the closest we came was in AP American History in high school and in one or two philosophy courses in college.

      Perhaps bravery entails ignoring reason, or bravery requires carrying reason out to its logical conclusion. Could be both.

      "Give me liberty or give me death!"
      "Are you sure?"

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