Class Action Lawsuit of Obama, NSA Over PRISM

[stromboli]

http://www.scribd.com/doc/146930457/PRISM-Class

 

Plaintiff, Larry Klayman, a former U.S. Department of Justice prosecutor, and PlaintiffsCharles and Mary Ann Strange (collectively "Plaintiffs") bring this action on their own behalf and on behalf of a class of persons defined below. Plaintiffs hereby sue Barack Hussein Obama,Eric Holder, Keith B. Alexander, Lowell McAdam, Roger Vinson, Verizon Communications, theU.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ"), and the National Security Agency ("NSA"), (collectively"Defendants"), in their personal and official capacities, for violating Plaintiffs' constitutionalrights, Plaintiffs' reasonable expectation of privacy, free speech and association, right to be freeof unreasonable searches and seizures, and due process rights, as well as certain common lawclaims, for directly and proximately causing Plaintiffs mental and physical pain and suffering

This is an action for violations of the First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendments to the U.S.Constitution. This is also an action for violations of privacy, including intrusion uponseclusion, freedom of expression and association, due process, and other illegal acts.Plaintiffs bring this action on behalf of themselves and all other similarly situated consumers,users, and U.S. citizens who are customers and users of Defendant Verizon Communications("Verizon").

Legal brief. The legal minds on the forum can dissect this. I already stated that PRISM is a clear violation of the 4th Amendment. 1st Amendment is a given, as well. Let me here also state that this will be thrown out because the Patriot Act will be cited and *National Security* will be the reason.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Well kids, when Mitt or his empty suit replacement takes over in 2016 you'll long for the good ol days of mere spying that's been going on since forever..

This isn't anywhere near as bad as it's made out to be and just how the hell have these people 'suffered' by big bad gubnit looking into who they call?

[BarkAtTheMoon]

Well kids, when Mitt or his empty suit replacement takes over in 2016 you'll long for the good ol days of mere spying that's been going on since forever..

This isn't anywhere near as bad as it's made out to be and just how the hell have these people 'suffered' by big bad gubnit looking into who they call?

Yep. I wonder what exactly everyone thinks the NSA and CIA does and has been doing for decades. *hint* THIS!! This is exactly the stuff they do, what they've always done, and what their stated purpose is. SigInt. Spying. Is everyone suddenly naive 12 year olds? They've just moved on to modern technology like everyone else. I'd bet they do a lot less creepy and nasty stuff now than they could get away with in the past, especially during the cold war, when nobody would bat an eye. I'd have been more surprised and a little disappointed if they weren't doing it. And guess what, in your favorite country, the intelligence agencies there are doing the exact same things.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Well FUCK! Now the NSA will know you called in sick when you were really just watching My Little Pony! Fucking spys!

[Thumpalumpacus]

PRISM is just one more datum demonstrating that the Obama Administration is just like every other administration, hungry to expand the power of government at the expense of the rights of the citizenry.

I'm not so blithe as the previous posters about the continual erosion of our rights. The idea that the government should be entitled to eavesdrop on our private communications is sickening, to me.  Justifying everything with the War on Terror® seems to be in line with Orwell's prediction of a continual war used to justify the removal of rights.  

I'm surprised to see such sentiments dismissing these concerns at a free-thought forum, of all places.

[stromboli]

PRISM is just one more datum demonstrating that the Obama Administration is just like every other administration, hungry to expand the power of government at the expense of the rights of the citizenry.

I'm not so blithe as the previous posters about the continual erosion of our rights. The idea that the government should be entitled to eavesdrop on our private communications is sickening, to me.  Justifying everything with the War on Terror® seems to be in line with Orwell's prediction of a continual war used to justify the removal of rights.  

I'm surprised to see such sentiments dismissing these concerns at a free-thought forum, of all places.

I'm with Thump on this one. There needs to be as strong an outcry and an objection as possible. Most people, according to various surveys, are against the Patriot Act and the limitations of civil rights it represents. Shrugging your shoulders and saying "well, that's the way it is" is not the answer.

Romans 13:1
"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God established. The authorities that exist have been established by God."

Words for sheep.

[missingnocchi]

Yep. I wonder what exactly everyone thinks the NSA and CIA does and has been doing for decades. *hint* THIS!! This is exactly the stuff they do, what they've always done, and what their stated purpose is. SigInt. Spying. Is everyone suddenly naive 12 year olds? They've just moved on to modern technology like everyone else. I'd bet they do a lot less creepy and nasty stuff now than they could get away with in the past, especially during the cold war, when nobody would bat an eye. I'd have been more surprised and a little disappointed if they weren't doing it. And guess what, in your favorite country, the intelligence agencies there are doing the exact same things.

It's been going on forever, so it must be right! Like slavery!

Seriously, how docile do you have to be not to feel threatened by this, and not to want to do something about it? The federal government has, during the Bush and Obama administrations, given itself the power to listen in on any phone conversation in the country, and arrest anyone they please to secretly, without a trial, and indefinitely, all without a warrant. To not do anything about that when you know it's happening is to put your life into the hands of the government with the faith that all of our presidents will always be good guys. If we end up electing someone with dictatorial ambitions, which can happen and has happened before, they would have all the tools they need to subjugate political opponents and nip resistance in the bud. This could very well be our last chance to save the country, and even if it isn't, a day will come when all of this power is used against us. If I'm wrong and every leader America ever has in the future only has our best interests at heart, wonderful. But that's a lot of faith to have in a political office that, by its nature, attracts only the most ambitious people in the country.

[Jason Harvestdancer]

Well kids, when Mitt or his empty suit replacement takes over in 2016 you'll long for the good ol days of mere spying that's been going on since forever..

This isn't anywhere near as bad as it's made out to be and just how the hell have these people 'suffered' by big bad gubnit looking into who they call?

Yep.  As long as the right party is doing it, it's all ok.  That's why this isn't a big issue.  And in a few years it won't be a big issue for the Republicans anymore, but suddenly it will be an issue for you again.

The way it isn't an issue right now.  Because the right party is doing it.  Not because it's wrong, but simply because of who is doing it.

[Jmpty]

I don't feel threatened by PRISM, because I have read the details of the program. The guy who who revealed this program should be tried for treason. It's very easy to circumvent this program, once you know it exists, so it has been rendered useless.

[stromboli]

I don't feel threatened either. I am as safe as can be. I don't own a smart phone (yet) and don't do much on the internet except research and places like this forum. But the not feeling threatened part is the whole idea. Keep people not feeling threatened until the belated truth is that authorities have power over you that you didn't know they had, and your civil rights become less and less.

The idea is to challenge authority to let them know they are being watched. When you allow authorities to ignore foundational laws like the 1st and 4th Amendment, at some point they will assume that they can continue to do more and be more intrusive in your life. Sooner or later you have to make a statement. Sooner is always better.

[Colanth]

I'm surprised to see such sentiments dismissing these concerns at a free-thought forum, of all places.

Remember, though, this is atheistforums, not freedom_from_government_oppression_forums.  The only thing all of us share in common is lack of belief in deities.  I would hope that none of us is in favor of dictatorships, but that's not a requirement of not believing in gods.

[Jason Harvestdancer]

I see a lot of people saying they don't feel threatened because it's not happening to them.  Not a very good position in my opinion.

[Jmpty]

I see a lot of people saying they don't feel threatened because it's not happening to them.  Not a very good position in my opinion.

Ummm, what exactly is not happening to them? Or what is happening to anyone that is causing some sort of harm? Someone is saving data which contains the phone numbers you have called. So? My phone company does that already. Is that secret?

[AllPurposeAtheist]

I don't feel threatened at all. In fact I'm happy our government is at least trying to keep tabs on the shitheads of the world. Maybe you feel more threatened by the government listening in as you make a feeble attempt at seducing some girl or man on the phone at 2am than I do, but that's your problem, not mine.
I feel far more threatened by shit that has happened to me, cops, jail and courts than some national security analyst looking at phone records to who I might or might not have called.
I get paranoid about silly shit at times, but this ain't one of them.

[FrankDK]

> PRISM is just one more datum demonstrating that the Obama Administration is just like every other administration, hungry to expand the power of government at the expense of the rights of the citizenry.

I confess, I'm really disappointed in Obama, although the disappointment has been a long time growing.  As disappointing as this is, at least it puts the lie to those who claim he is the most liberal president in history.  In fact, he's right of center, like just about all of our recent chief executives.

Frank