YES! & One More Way

In our geographical region land line phone service is provided by Verizon. Verizon is one of the companies who did turn over phone records without a warrant.

Verizon also wants to capture my cellphone and my internet business and toward that end they send me advertising material on an almost weekly basis extolling the benefits of that portion of their business.

When I learned of their cooperation with the warrantless snooping I began using their advertising mailings to "communicate" back with them. Each time I get another of their ad packages touting their internet or cell services - after tearing off the portions that would identify me personally - I use the reverse side to write and mail them a brief ponted communique about the warrantless snooping matter. A typical note says: "YOU enable a fascist takeover of the nation's government by cooperating in warrantless spying on innocent American citizens and NOW you want my internet and my cellphone business too? - Well F... YOU! Anti-American fascist c***s*ck*rs!" (Followed by some colorful language to suggest where they might insert their cellphones.)

It is my expectation that there at least a few other Verizon customers who probably do somethng similar. Perhaps eventually Verizon will get a clue. Too late. Far too late.

Businesses know that for each individual who takes the time and effort to write a response - there are many dozens more who feel the same way who did not make the effort to express themselves.

by mrk * (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 295 comments) on Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 11:44:43 AM
 

Writing the phone companies

Hello MRK and reader friends

Thank you for your proactivity, MRK. And you are right: Writing the phone companies is important. They need to know that their businesses will be affected: That's the only way to pack a punch into what they are doing.

 That said, I wanted to offer that in my experience, people bristle up in reaction to strong messages and tend to brush them off. In order for letters to the telecoms to be effective, I suggest they be direct but polite.

May I also point out that strong statements create an image of the Progressive movement which contributes to our being discredited. For the sake of the movement, please let's be moderate in our written statements.

Unfortunately the telecom immunity bill will give the companies a cocky arrogance enabling them to trample on our heads without fear of reprisal. That's where they are wrong, and again I want to remind everybody of where our power is:

Switch phone companies. And tell them as much, in writing. The pocketbook is the most powerful way to deliver a message! Period.

Also, any phone company which says they are "Cooperating with laws" in wiretapping us without warrant is spouting nonsense, and confessing whose side they are really on. The first amendment guarantees our free speech, and the fourth amendment assures our being "Secure in our persons" and safe from "Unreasonable search and seizure" and requires warrants "supported by oath" to prove "probable cause" for any arrest. The Patriot Act side-steps every one of those 4th amendment requirements, and the warrantless wiretapping is the first step in determing which law-abiding "Terrorists" will be targeted. THE PATRIOT ACT, WHICH WAS THE FIRST LAW TO "LEGALIZE" THIS UNCONSTITUTIONAL PRACTICE,  MUST BE OVERTURNED!
Former FBI agent Ted Gunderson has a movement going to overturn the Patriot Act, sum total. The ACLU has compromised because out of experience, they know that they can't completely overturn COngressional agendas but they can modify them. So they are plugging for the Patriot Act to be "fixed".

Join either or both movements, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and hop on board with Qwest or Working Assets, and you will be part of the solution. The Center for Constitutional Rights also has a movement going to restore civilian liberties, and of course the ACLU is the hottest thing going where that is concerned. They litigate 60+/- cases per state each year, appearing at the Supreme Court second in frequency only to the Dept. of Justice itself.

There's hope, folks! Politicians want to be re-elected, so they do respond to mass signatures coming in. Join any of the organizations above, sign their petitions, pass them on and you will be part of the solution.

by Kathryn Smith (84 articles, 1 quicklinks, 33 diaries, 306 comments) on Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 1:51:42 PM