For example HF1449 states:

• (d) "Criminal predicate" means sufficient, articulable facts, along with rational inferences from those facts, to give employees working under the supervision of a law enforcement agency a basis to believe that there is a reasonable possibility that a person is involved in criminal or terrorist activity.

Doesn't this leave a strong possibility of manufactured data or facts upon someone by law enforcement while it leaves no serious consequences for the party(ies) who may do it? Where is the measure that assures the Citizen that unscrupulous government and law enforcement employees will be prosecuted if they misuse these measures against a Citizen? We see none. Are We the Citizens to just trust our government and law enforcement? We think not. What about this:

• (g) "Terrorist activity" means acts dangerous to human life that violate the criminal laws of this state or the United States and appear to be intended to:
  • (1) intimidate or coerce the civilian population;
  • (2) influence the policy of the state by intimidation or coercion; or
  • (3) affect the state by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping.
• (h) "Threat of imminent serious harm" means a credible impending threat to the safety of a person, government entity, or property.

What happens if the government and/or law enforcement turn these very activities around on the Citizens? In fact, government and law enforcement use "intimidation and coercion [against] the civilian population" every day! Where are the specific countermeasures included here to stop government and law enforcment from committing these acts upon the Citizens? Except for there must be articuable facts and reasonable belief that someone is active in terror or planning, etc. And unless there is they may not maintain these records or use the "criminal data" records. It is not very reassuring, however. These bills need some serious rewriting to also protect the Citizen from government and law enforcement or perhaps better yet merely scrapped and forgotten. The latter being our preference.

This is America damn it! We are to be FREE of such scrutiny and hassle. And frankly, the so-called "war on terror" is NO excuse to stifle the Rights of Minnesotans and all Americans. The recent rash of bills invading privacy, trying to stifle freedom of speech, expression, dissent and redressing grievances have all the signs and smells of 1930 Germany and life in Russia under the thumb of the KGB. It is entirely unacceptable and contrary once again to the First, Fourth and Fifth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution as well as Article I, Section 2 and Article I, Section 10 of the Minnesota Constitution.

Please contact your representative and senator and tell them you are tired of being treated like a suspect or criminal without cause, secret reports, files and other data being kept about you with or without your knowledge. Tell them to vote NO on HF1449 and SF1103 ! You can find your representative and senator here.