Rhetorica: Press-Politics Journal

October 14, 2004

I dare you to investigate me…

Drat! It’s checked out. But as soon as it is returned, I’m checking it out. Here’s why: I’m a free American citizen with the right to check out of a library any book that library offers, and I ought to be able to do so without the FBI looking over my shoulder.

Posted by acline | October 14, 2004 | Posted in: Main |

7 Responses

  1. Charles Knell  October 14th, 2004 at 9:32 am

    So what, exactly, beyond this news report do you know about the FBI’s interest in who wrote the marginalia in this book? Is it impossible that they have a legitimate interest in this person? And if they do, should they be permitted to get a warrant for a wire-tap or a search, to conduct serveillance, but be prohibited from looking at his or her conduct in a public place like a library? If that is your view, then I can’t agree.

  2. acline  October 14th, 2004 at 9:47 am

    We don’t know yet. I prefer to side the library until we know otherwise.

  3. Charles Knell  October 14th, 2004 at 10:20 am

    Considering the paucity of facts at your disposal, why do you feel the need to take a side at all?

  4. Tim  October 14th, 2004 at 1:00 pm

    Someone wrote in the book and the issue is who’s checking out books?

    Uhhh, I think your liberal slip is showing.

  5. acline  October 14th, 2004 at 1:06 pm

    Charles… partly because I’m being deliberately outrageous :-) Or if that’s too much hyperbole, my goal here is not so much to take sides as to get the book and crow about it–all for my own amusement.

    On the serious side: Even if they are after a real terrorist, I’m still uncomfortable with the FBI looking at such records. It doesn’t mean I don’t support the fight against terrorism. It means exactly that I’m uncomfortable with the FBI looking at such records.

  6. Charles Knell  October 15th, 2004 at 8:09 am

    I just ordered a copy for you from Amazon. You can donate it to the library when you’ve read it.

  7. acline  October 15th, 2004 at 10:20 am

    Charles… Cool! I appreciate your willingness to indulge my fantasy :-)

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