Three cheers for the Calais Public Library’s decision to support Vermont Rep. Bernard Sanders’ Freedom to Read Protection Act of 2003 (BDN, April 1). Currently, the Patriot Act empowers the FBI to secretly demand library records of patrons’ reading habits without any probable cause.

Rep. Thomas Allen, former Rep. John Baldacci and Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins all voted in favor of the Patriot Act. Sanders’ bill would at least require the FBI to provide reasonable cause and a court order before they could demand library or patrons’ records.

I shudder to think what a “Patriot Act 2” might entail. Perhaps a “Ministry of Truth” that could periodically “rectify” all “doubleplusungood” publications would be established.

Ian Fritz

Old Town