06/30/06 Government Spying Protest Is Saturday

The Capital Times

Friday, June 30, 2006

By Bill Dunn

Groups concerned about government and corporate invasion of personal privacy will rally Saturday in downtown Madison.

The protest, billed as "Declare Your Independence From Government Spying," starts at 11 a.m. at the AT&T building, 316 W. Washington Ave.

"Join us to express your outrage at, and to protest, government spying on the American people, and specifically the collusion of AT&T, Verizon and Bell South telecom companies with the NSA (National Security Agency) in providing our private records of telephone calls without a warrant," says the rally notice at the Madison Area Peace Coalition's Web site.

The event includes a march around the State Capitol during the Farmers' Market to another AT&T building at 44 E. Mifflin St. Speakers will include Matt Rothschild, editor of The Progressive magazine, and Madison attorney Sally Stix.

One of the organizers is Barnaby Urich-Rintz, 37, who works at Regent Market Co-op. He shared his thoughts with The Capital Times:

TCT: On the Fox Network's "Your World With Neil Cavuto," the host said this: "Yes, it is not great to necessarily hear they're collecting our phone records, but it's a heck of a lot better than collecting our remains." Your reaction?

9/11 was a terrible tragedy, but how often have Americans been attacked on U.S. soil? Except for Pearl Harbor, there are almost no such instances.

This type of shameful propaganda would be laughable if it weren't for the fact that so many Americans believe the hyperbole that people like Neil Cavuto dispense.

TCT: George Bush said this recently in Austria: "We're a transparent democracy. People know exactly what's on our mind. We debate things in the open."

I can only think of one response to that, from George W. Bush himself. I'm paraphrasing, but didn't he also say something like, "This would be so much easier if this were a dictatorship, as long as I'm the dictator"?

TCT: What do you say to people who have the mind-set that "if you're not doing anything wrong, you don't have anything to worry about"?

One of the core problems with the current state of U.S. government surveillance programs is the language of the Patriot Act. Under that un-American law, someone can be convicted as a "perceived" terrorist threat.

Civil rights attorney Lynne Stewart was convicted of relaying information from an imprisoned client, Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman. The evidence in her case was flimsy at best, if not completely fabricated.

Another example: Sami Al-Arian, a Florida college professor originally from Kuwait, was accused of terrorism and has been in jail since 2003. A jury acquitted him on most of the counts he was charged with and deadlocked on other counts, but he agreed to deportation to avoid retrial. He's in jail awaiting deportation.

Ironically, Al-Arian campaigned for President Bush in the 2000 election. Ultimately, no one is safe.

TCT: To what do you attribute what seems like apathy on the part of much of the American public on the issue?

I think many people are angry, active and ready to respond. Our action Saturday is meant to be a springboard to get more Wisconsin residents to become involved. People should call the state attorney general and attorney general candidates and ask what they will do about the issue.

Change your e-mail and phone service if you use AT&T/SBC, Verizon or Bell South, which profit from people like us. If we cripple them economically, it will force them to retreat.

TCT: Do you really expect that by taking on the government you will change anything?

The government is powerful and controlled by wealthy people. What chance is there of winning? I think that in a way it's irrelevant whether or not we succeed. The point is to try.

When I see what's happening in my name and in my country's name, I must resist. I know the odds are against me and against us, but our life experiences include struggle.

Working at a job is not easy, finding people I can trust is not easy, finding time to enjoy life is not easy. How could I ever expect that social change would come easily?

\ E-mail: bdunn@madison.com