Tuesday, December 16, 2008

thomas tamm, hero

he is the man on the cover of the latest newsweek magazine. in 2005, he told the press (from a subway payphone) about the National Security Agency's illegal wiretapping of american phones. this heroic act in defense of the law was called "shameful" by president bush.

tamm was a justice department lawyer. he recalls his shock when he saw the text of the 4th amendment, which guarantees all americans against arbitrary search and seizure, removed from the NSA website. so, he thought, the best protection for americans is no longer law, but a government willing to break laws?

in a democracy, secrecy always indicates weakness and fear. democracy dies in secrecy.

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