>>Do be surprised, Hilmar. I had many foreign exchange studends in my classes, at both the highschool and college level, and they all know more about our form of government, the Declaration of Independence (which several could quote from memory), and the Bill of Rights... i.e., civics questions that 95% of all eighth graders should know.
>>JLK
>>Bill of Rights
>>b. Sept 28, 1789 d. Oct 21, 2002. R.I.P.
>
>Sorry - what's that about Oct. 21, 2002? Are you expecting something for that date?
>
>Hilmar.


That is the date that the "Patriot Act" was signed into law.
Most people never read the act nor do they realize how many rights they have lost. But, in order to 'protect' our freedoms some feel we have to give them up. Most reports focus on people here on visas or who have entered the country illegally, but they pay little attention to the effects that the Patriot Act will have the rights of citizens. An amazing thing is that the bill wasn't even printed before they voted on it, so one wonders how they could have read it in its final form.

For all you folks who cherish your freedom of speech on the internet read on:
http://www.aclu.org/congress/l102301g.html


http://feingold.senate.gov/releases/01/10/102501at.html

http://www.law.com/cgi-bin/gx.cgi/AppLogic+FTContentServer?pagename=law/View&c=Article&cid=ZZZPP4XEUTC&live=true&cst=1&pc=0&pa=0&s=News&ExpIgnore=true&showsummary=0

http://www.aclu.org/congress/l110101a.html

Amazingly, both sides of the political spectrum seem to agree on this.
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/j112601.html

Hopefully, someone will file a lawwuit and take this to the Supreme Court. If they let it stand we are in deep do-do.
JLK
Bill of Rights
b. Sept 28, 1789 d. Oct 21, 2002. R.I.P.