URGENT URGENT URGENT URGENT

You've probably heard about the 'Homeland Security' bill that Bush is trying to rush through Congress during the last hours of the lame duck session.

Quite simply, this is an incredibly scary bill. The House passed the bill last week, and now the Senate is being asked to rubber-stamp it NOW. They've only had a few days to master the complexities of this 500 page bill, which has all kinds of weird riders attached to it -- last minute additions that have nothing to do with security.*


TIME TO ACT!


-- SIGN AND DISTRIBUTE THE ONLINE PETITION
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/privacy/petition.html
Distribute far and wide with the onsite email form. Super quick!!


-- CALL YOUR SENATORS IN D.C.
http://moveon.org/news/911.html
Staff will tally your position by zipcode!

o Ask them to put the brakes on the Homeland Security bill.
o Ask them to take the time to know what they are actually voting on.
o Ask them to amend the bill to protect our privacy from the government's new "total information awareness" program.
o Ask them to defeat the new riders that have nothing to do with security -- for example, protecting companies that move their corporate addresses offshore to avoid taxes.
o Ask them to protect the rights of federal workers. *


-- VISIT THIS EXCELLENT SITE
http://www.epic.org/privacy/profiling/tia/
EPIC.ORG for a comprehensive and up-to-the-minute overview of the issues at hand:

**Groups Urge Senate to Stop Total Information Awareness** In an open letter over 30 civil liberties groups urged Senators Thomas Daschle (D-SD) and Trent Lott (R-MS) to amend the Homeland Security Act to stop further development of the Total Information Awareness (TIA) program. For more information, see the EPIC TIA Page. (Nov. 18)

**Leading Newspapers Blast Defense Dept. Surveillance Project** Newspapers across the country are opposing the Department of Defense's Total Information Awareness (TIA) project. The New York Times said today that "Congress should shut down the program pending a thorough investigation." Earlier the Washington Post wrote "the defense secretary should appoint an outside committee to oversee it before it proceeds." For more information, see EPIC's TIA Page. (Nov. 18)




URGENT URGENT URGENT URGENT

Remember, time is of the essence, DON'T LET THIS THING SLIDE BY UN-AMENDED!!!!



Petition
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/privacy/petition.html

* MoveOn.org
http://moveon.org/news/911.html

** Epic.org
http://www.epic.org/privacy/profiling/tia/