FBI guidelines take away more freedom

I just finished reading the article on the new guidelines that the Justice Department is giving the FBI's counter-terrorism unit, and I'm reminded of the old Pogo cartoon character's exclamation, "We have met the enemy and he is us!"

How far are we going to go, how many more rights and privileges are we going to give away in the name of anti-terrorism?

The government already can monitor our phones, bank accounts, internet usage, library cards, credit cards, and our Blockbuster cards, for all I know.

Now, with the help of the attorney general, the FBI can start a file or an investigation on anyone or any group that has the wrong surname, skin tone, job, ethnic background, or other vague criteria yet to be created. Evidence-schmevidence!

And you know the FBI will abuse and misuse this power.

This is an agency with a history of breaking down the doors of the wrong home, illegal wiretaps, starting files on "subversives" who might disagree with them: Bobby Kennedy, columnist Jack Anderson, Martin Luther King, Jr.

They will issue the obligatory apologies, or blame it on some young agent's "overzealousness," and keep right on doing whatever they want.

This brings back memories of lessons my social studies teachers drilled into me in the '50s and '60s about the dangers of communism and totalitarian dictatorships.

I think I just heard George Orwell applauding from the grave!

This is not a conservative versus liberal issue either.

Both sides of the aisle should be concerned about this assault on the core values of our Constitution.

Why should the federal government have this much power?

When did we start believing people were guilty until proven innocent?

When did we decide to consolidate three branches of government into one?

When did we lose faith in ourselves?

Tom Dillivan

Schaumburg