Progressive Bumper Sticker » constitution

Sam Farr Opposes Patriot Act Attack On Constitution

The Sticker — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:08:49 +0000

In the recent congressional debate about the Patriot Act, many members of the U.S. House of Representatives were content to maintain the status quo. Despite mounting evidence of massive abuses of our constitutional rights under the Patriot Act, which remains without the legally required oversight of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, many in Congress simply chose to accept the situation as it is, without taking action.

Congressman Sam Farr was not among them. Unlike many of his colleagues, Representative Farr took a strong stand against the renewal of the most clearly unconstitutional provisions of the Patriot Act. Farr explained,

“I felt compelled to vote against extending the three expiring provisions of the Patriot Act that continue to give the government sweeping authority to spy on individuals inside the United States and, in some cases, without any suspicion of wrongdoing. These intrusive and sweeping powers stand in stark contrast to the fundamental individual privacy rights enshrined in the Fourth Amendment of our Constitution. All three surveillance provisions are unnecessary, they do not protect us against terrorism, and they should have been allowed to expire long ago. I am appalled by the blatant disregard for the civil liberties of innocent Americans who have absolutely no connection to the global war on terrorism, and I look forward to a time when these provisions are no longer the law of the land.”

You can stand with Sam Farr in his opposition to the Patriot Act. At noon tomorrow, March 12, 2011, Americans will gather in protest against the Patriot Act outside the U.S. Capitol. You can join them. For more day to day, simple activism, if you live in Washington D.C. or in the 17th congressional district of California, where Sam Farr comes from, you can place this bumper sticker on your car, with the simple message: I support Sam Farr.

Show Arizona Your Papers (SB 1070 Bumper Sticker)

The Sticker — Sun, 16 May 2010 14:53:45 +0000

Are you headed to Arizona? After the passage of SB 1070 in that state, you’d better be darned sure to show ‘em your papers. The new law requires police officers to stop and search people for their identity papers if the officers think they somehow look like illegal immigrants. The Constitution declares that people shall not be searched or have their papers seized except on the basis of probable cause — but the Arizona law would do away with this constitutional protection. It’s a good thing for you that U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land.

So when you find yourself headed to Arizona, be sure to show ‘em your papers, the papers that really matter. You know, the ones that begin “We the People…”

Real Patriots Don’t Need An Act

The Sticker — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:11:59 +0000

Remember that promise they made us way back in 2001? Congress said it would pass the Patriot Act, with its many unconstitutional attacks against our civil liberties, but they said it would be okay, because the law would include a “sunset”. It would expire after four years, just to be used during the time of national emergency.

Well, the national emergency has come and gone, but the Patriot Act remains. It was renewed, in spite of previous promises, in 2005, and now, in 2009, it’s the Senate Democrats who are leading the charge to renew the Patriot Act. They’re trying to pass S. 1692, a bill to put off the sunset yet again.

Like the original Patriot Act, S. 1692 fails to protect Americans’ constitutional rights. Good senators like Russ Feingold and Dick Durbin supported an amendment that would have at least guaranteed that the Patriot Act’s worst powers would only be used in cases of suspected terrorism or foreign spying, but their amendment was dismissed. Worse yet, it was other Democrats who made up the deciding votes to kill the reform. The following Democrats voted no to reforming the Patriot Act:

Senator Patrick Leahy
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Senator Al Franken
Senator Charles Schumer
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
Senator Amy Klobuchar
Senator Ted Kaufman
Herb Kohl

It’s time to talk back to these Democratic leaders. They were elected to take a stand against the abuses of the Bush era, not to extend them! This bumper sticker gives a direct message about what’s at stake: Patriots Against the Patriot Act

This video contains more explanation of the problems with the new Patriot Act extension:

The All-Seeing Eye of Barack Obama: Watch Back (Bumper Sticker)

The Sticker — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 19:38:41 +0000

In this oval bumper sticker, an Orwellian all-seeing eye is incorporated into the classic icon of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. The message: we may have a new president who ran on hope and change, but under his new administration, Big Brother is Still Watching. The Patriot Act is still in effect. The Military Commissions Act is still in effect. The FISA Amendments Act is still in effect. Barack Obama has committed to continue using tools of warrantless surveillance in contravention of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The election is over. It doesn’t matter whether Barack Obama was on “your team,” or whether you campaigned as part of “his team.” As of his inauguration, he will be the principal executor of a surveillance state. As long as the president and the agents of the president are watching, it is incumbent upon defenders of liberty to watch back.