Editor, Daily Nexus,

Right now, our government is preparing a piece of legislation designed to cripple our rights to privacy more than ever, and our nation’s press has said next to nothing. I’m referring to the so-called Patriot Act II, which John Ashcroft’s cabinet has secretly drafted, and which has only come to anyone’s attention because someone involved was kind enough to leak a copy.

The Patriot Act II allows the feds to search anyone’s credit report at any time. Not only will Ashcroft have the power to deport any American citizen based on nothing more than their political views; the clincher is this: Under already existing law, the government has the power to detain American citizens indefinitely, without trial, without charge and without representation. The Patriot Act II would forbid law enforcement from releasing the names of these citizens. Effectively, our government would have the power to “disappear” people, at any time, for any excuse it can imagine.

This has to stop before it starts. As it stands, the act is flying in completely under everyone’s radar; the way to slow it down is to spread the word.

Please do.