Ms. Asmussen makes the statement in her Sept. 24 letter, “Patriot Act panel wasn’t a real debate,” that “missing from the discussion was the fact that the Justice Department has never requested any person’s record of library book loans.”

Attorney General John Ashcroft made this assertion in the Washington Post, calling critics of the Patriot Act “hysterical.”

In fact, it is well documented that the Justice Department has made use of this provision.

Maurice Freedman, past president of the American Library Association, member of the ALA Council, the organization’s governing body, and director of the Westchester, New York library system, appeared on Amy Goodman’s “Democracy Now” to expose Ashcroft’s falsehood.

“But what I do know is that the library director — who has to remain nameless, because if I disclose that information I’ll be creating a felony situation for the library director that told me — said that he had gotten three requests for information about patron records. So I don’t know how consistent that is with what Mr. Ashcroft said. But the indication of other statements Mr. Ashcroft has made about librarians and what we’re complaining about gives me pause as to the accuracy, validity and truth of these claims,” Freedman said.

Since day one it has been the policy of the Bush administration to lie, and demonize those that dare to disagree.

Think. Educate yourself. You may not have another chance.

Brad Lucht

Alumnus