John Cusack, Free Press, StopWatching.US, & Restore the Fourth: Demand End to US Spying

[Waiting For Everyman]

Last edited Wed Jul 3, 2013, 11:58 AM - Edit history (1)

Craig Aaron July 2, 2013

A few of the organizations behind the StopWatching.Us campaign and an organizer of the Restore the Fourth rallies happening across the country on July 4 held a press conference today on the public response to NSA spying and surveillance programs.

Free Press was joined on the call by Harvey Anderson of Mozilla, Kim Lemkuhl of ColorofChange.org, Rainey Reitman of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Anna Wilmesher of Restore the Fourth — and John Cusack (!), the actor and board member of the Freedom of the Press Foundation.

We’ll post the recording of the call here as soon as it’s available.

Here’s the text of my statement from today’s call:

I’m the president and CEO of Free Press and the Free Press Action Fund, and I’m here today representing our more than 600,000 Free Press activists from across the country.

Free Press is a founding member of the StopWatching.Us coalition and is supporting the Restore the Fourth events.

We joined with our allies in these efforts because of our commitment to defending Internet freedom and press freedom. Right now, our rights to connect and communicate are in serious jeopardy.

Don’t believe those who suggest the American people don’t care; those pushing that line are just hoping people won’t find out what’s really going on. As we learn more every week about the unchecked surveillance and the corporate collusion, the outcry will grow louder and louder.

This is a nonpartisan effort uniting strange bedfellows from across the political spectrum. But I would say to my friends in progressive and Democratic circles that if you opposed attacks on our civil liberties under Bush and Cheney, you must oppose what the Obama administration is doing.

This is not about right and left. It is about right and wrong.

A word about the press: Orwell said journalism is printing what someone else doesn’t want printed. The journalists at the Guardian, the Washington Post, McClatchy and other outlets pushing forward this story deserve our admiration and gratitude.

The efforts to smear, slander and silence these reporters must be challenged. The ability for these reporters — and all reporters — to do their jobs must be safeguarded.

To be honest, the questions being raised about journalists versus activists confuse me. As far as I’m concerned, we need way more of both.

This intrusion into our private lives will not be solved behind closed doors. We need to bring these government and corporate activities into the light of day, and the only way that will happen is if millions more people get involved and demand accountability, demand change, demand the truth.

Thank you.

Want to join the call for NSA accountability? Take action now at StopWatching.Us and then find a Restore the Fourth event near you. I’ll be speaking at the rally in Farragut Square in Washington, D.C. Hope to see you there!

http://www.freepress.net/blog/2013/07/02/john-cusack-free-press-stopwatchingus-and-restore-fourth-demand-end-nsa-spying


This post needs some fireworks. Happy 4th of July, DUers!

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[xchrom]

1. du rec.

[Puzzledtraveller]

2. k&r

[chimpymustgo]

3. Restore the FOURTH! K&R

[MuseRider]

4. REC!

Thanks

[sabrina 1]

5. Thank you, I am sure this is the worst nightmare of those who want to keep the people divided.

Don’t believe those who suggest the American people don’t care; those pushing that line are just hoping people won’t find out what’s really going on. As we learn more every week about the unchecked surveillance and the corporate collusion, the outcry will grow louder and louder.

This is a nonpartisan effort uniting strange bedfellows from across the political spectrum. But I would say to my friends in progressive and Democratic circles that if you opposed attacks on our civil liberties under Bush and Cheney, you must oppose what the Obama administration is doing.

I don't think it's working so well anymore. Some things cross lines so wide that people will unite for as long as is necessary to restore what has been taken away from all of them.

A people united, even temporarily, with a common goal is the biggest fear of all.

Colorofchange is one of the most effective organizations to emerge over the past several years.

[Waiting For Everyman]

8. Yup.

...Some things cross lines so wide that people will unite for as long as is necessary to restore what has been taken away from all of them.

A people united, even temporarily, with a common goal is the biggest fear of all.

1% vs. 99%, they need a lot of dividing to keep control.

[sabrina 1]

9. That's why we are hearing all this nonsense about Ron Paul. They see a possibility of a united

people, OWS eg, who are not concerned about party over country, and the one Republican who might find common ground on some important issues. So the propaganda is flying re Paul on Liberal Forums. It's intended to get people to steer clear of any alliances that might strengthen the people.

But people have figured this out, this 'left wing' attack on Paul. It's not the 'left' who is doing it, although easily fooled people will pick up on propaganda, it is the 1% and their puppets.

See how little if any opposition there is to Obama's choosing of Republicans for his cabinet? Not a word is ever heard in opposition to those choices. So why the attacks on Paul? Because that is their weak link, a place in the chain where a link could form between all of the people, and they are terrified of that.

[Douglas Carpenter]

6. "This is not about right and left. It is about right and wrong. "

This is a nonpartisan effort uniting strange bedfellows from across the political spectrum. But I would say to my friends in progressive and Democratic circles that if you opposed attacks on our civil liberties under Bush and Cheney, you must oppose what the Obama administration is doing.

[Myrina]

7. Admirable. I am leery of Cusack, tho ...

.... I've followed him (yes, "the verified" him) on Twitter and let's just say he's .... prone to moments.