Librarian in Black Blog – Sarah Houghton

An LA judge ruled that part of the Patriot Act is unconstitutional. She ruled that “a provision in the law banning certain types of support for terrorist groups was so vague that it risked running afoul of the First Amendment.” I also agree with Karen Schneider, who disagrees with Jessamyn West, that this part of the law is applicable to libraries in that it deals with who you can talk to, and about what. More specifically, “expert advice or assistance” given to terrorist organizations is considered a violation of the law. The Humanitarian Law Project folks saw this law as preventing them from providing relief assistance to Kurdish refugees in Turkey. And the judge agreed. It’s a step in the right direction…