OT follow-up (was) RE: [at-l]NOT OT: Banned Books Week

[nealb at midlandstech.edu (William Neal)]

>And I can type whatever I want.  No one is stopping me.

Yet ---

WILLIAM:
A gentleman in one of the Western states was in a library.  He had been a
former government official (local I think but maybe fed or state).  He was
in a library that apparently allowed access to chat rooms, but it might have
been plain email.  Anyway, he was typing in some uncomplimentary things
about Dubya.  Apparently, like me, he had some serious doubts about Dubya's
real motives for the war in Iraq.  While he was online, he was interrupted
by the feds.  NOT ONLINE, BUT IN PERSON!  Apparently their software was
doing some monitoring and caught him in the act of free speech.  

Along the same lines, I have made some uncomplimentary remarks about Dubya.
I distrust his real motives for the war in Iraq.  There is an old adage that
says something like "If you want to get the people's minds off their real
problems, start a war."  I have said this in several lists and private
emails.  I've also said, especially after the war started, that I thought
Saddam should be removed and that I supported our military personnel.  But I
have it on good authority that the FBI has asked about me.  Apparently they
decided I was harmless. ;-)

While the government apparently does not YET monitor private computer emails
(except in suspected individual cases), they do apparently monitor "public"
computers or computers where they had the actual or implied consent of the
"real" owners.  And most libraries are "owned" by some governmental body.
And most governmental bodies are willing for the feds to monitor anything
they want -- except their records. ;-)

William, The Practical Anarchist Turtle