Exercise of Free Speech -Action Alert

Left right or other, please consider sending something like this letter to your state affiliate ACLU chapter.    (http://www.aclu.org/affiliates/)

August 9, 2009

Colleen Connell, Executive Director

American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois

180 N Michigan Avenue, Suite 2300

Chicago, IL 60601

acluofillinois@aclu-il.org

Sent Via Email

Dear Ms. Connell:

On August 4, 2009, the Obama Administration recently asked Americans to report to the federal government the contents of private “conversations” and “emails.”

"There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care.  These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation.  Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.  (http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Facts-Are-Stubborn-Things/)"

It is unclear to me how the federal government will use the information it receives.  If I post a message on Facebook critical of Obama’s Healthcare plan, could I end up on a White House watch list? Must I agree with the Administration’s version of the facts or remain silent to avoid being identified by the government based on the content of my policy viewpoints? 

The answers to the questions are vague and therefore create a chilling effect on my speech. 

Civil liberty groups, such as the ACLU, have a long history of protecting speech against government abuse.  For example, on Sunday, November 23, 2003, the NY Times reported (http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/23/national/23FBI.html):

"The Federal Bureau of Investigation has collected extensive information on the tactics, training and organization of antiwar demonstrators and has advised local law enforcement officials to report any suspicious activity at protests to its counterterrorism squads, according to interviews and a confidential bureau memorandum…F.B.I. officials said in interviews that the intelligence-gathering effort was aimed at identifying anarchists and ‘extremist elements’ plotting violence, not at monitoring the political speech of law-abiding protesters."

In response, civil liberty advocates at the ACLU and American University responded as follows:

"The F.B.I. is dangerously targeting Americans who are engaged in nothing more than lawful protest and dissent," said Anthony Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. ‘The line between terrorism and legitimate civil disobedience is blurred, and I have a serious concern about whether we're going back to the days of Hoover.’"

And scholar Herman Schwartz said:

"As a matter of principle, it has a very serious chilling effect on peaceful demonstration. If you go around telling people, `We're going to ferret out information on demonstrations,' that deters people. People don't want their names and pictures in F.B.I. files."

The current Administration policy is “monitoring the speech of law-abiding protestors.”  I am sure that the ACLU agrees that what was not ok in 2003 is not ok today.  I request the ACLU’s assistance to protect the speech of Americans against the Administration’s chilling program.

Respectfully,

Philippe Melin

Chicago, IL