Whole lotta hoot, leeeeettle bit of nanny

It's been a long time since a Democrat has had a reason to celebrate. A long time since a sane person has had a reason to feel good about the United States Congress. Is this the beginning of the end of crazy? Last week Congress voted against the Administration; it seems like someone in some office down on Capitol Hill finally realized that there are plenty of Americans, some might say a majority, who don't want a cluster-fuck for a government. Who knew?

On Wednesday, the House voted 238-187 to protect reader's privacy by removing powers from the Patriot Act that allow federal agents to seize library and bookstore records without a subpoena. The revision to Section 215 would require those agents to, you know, present probable cause to a judge before ransacking a library. Now I'm all for preventing people from reading too much about certain off-limit subject matters. Kids should not read about witches because they'll turn to Satan. People should not have to be exposed to controversial and provocative thought through words, or God-forbid, art. Law-abiding citizens should not want to learn about terrorism and maybe check out a book or browse Barnes and Noble. And besides, if you didn't do anything wrong, why would you mind if the FBI went through your reading records and didn't get a warrant to do so?

The Patriot Act is a dangerous intrusion on civil liberties, and everyone knows it. The problem is, some people believe it is necessary. I am not one of those people. I learned that you cannot give up essential liberties in exchange for temporary security from Ben Franklin. I learned that America is an idea - that government exists to ensure the freedom and liberty of its citizens - that must be protected above all else from Aaron Sorkin. And I learned that the human being and fish can coexist peacefully from President Bush. So this asinine attempt by the reigning monarchy to bring every aspect of a person's life under personal scrutiny will fail, eventually if not sooner, because it is fundamentally un-American. And everyone knows it.

President Bush believes in something - that he can create freedom using the might of his army. I don't doubt the sincerity of his faith. In fact, he believes it so much that he is willing to sacrifice this country in order to prove it. Democrats, Independents, and people with perspective have to find a way to stop it. The Freedom to Read Amendment is a small but important step for the opposition, which has finally found its voice.