USA Patriot Act Gag Order - a public (and anonymous) letter

The Washington Post on Friday, 3/23, published this anonymous open letter describing the psychic fallout of receiving a national security letter and gag order -- from an IT businessman. Not just for libraries, any more.

And in case you're not feeling upset enough about our government, the Post also ran a story (here) about the unforeseen consequences of a federal government list designed to thwart terrorists:

...Office of Foreign Asset Control's list of "specially designated nationals" has long been used by banks and other financial institutions to block financial transactions of drug dealers and other criminals. But an executive order issued by President Bush after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks has expanded the list and its consequences in unforeseen ways. Businesses have used it to screen applicants for home and car loans, apartments and even exercise equipment, according to interviews and a report by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area to be issued today. (snip)

The lawyers' committee has documented at least a dozen cases in which U.S. customers have had transactions denied or delayed because their names were a partial match with a name on the list, which runs more than 250 pages and includes 3,300 groups and individuals. No more than a handful of people on the list, available online, are U.S. citizens.

Yet anyone who does business with a person or group on the list risks penalties of up to $10 million and 10 to 30 years in prison, a powerful incentive for businesses to comply. The law's scope is so broad and guidance so limited that some businesses would rather deny a transaction than risk criminal penalties, the report finds.

You can see another version of this article at MSNBC, if you don't want to register for the Post.