FBI+Artifacts

=FBI Artifacts=

These artifacts were on display in out Civil Rights exhibit. If you missed them, these are pictures of the artifacts and a description of what they represent.

Safe and Hammer


The safe, marked as a person’s personal information, is being wedged open with a hammer marked as a National Security Letter (NSL). This symbolizes how the FBI is illegally using the National Security Letters to gain information. The safe, which is normally protected, is being forced to reveal its secrets by the hammer, NSL. It is the same with the FBI. They are misusing the power of NSLs, expanded by the Patriot, to gain data on people and organizations. Furthermore, these people are not always suspects in an investigation. Sometimes, they are under surveillances because of their political views.

Broken Glass, Crowbar


The broken glass represent the burglaries which the FBI committed to get personal information. They often did other secret breakings if they needed personal data. They also demanded unauthorized personal information by use of national security letters. That is what the crowbar represents; the way that the FBI forced the data to be given to them. In the same way that the FBI forced the glass to shatter, they forced the companies to give them data.

Gloves and Footprints


The red gloves, marked as the FBI, represent how the Federal Bureau of Investigation is covering up its “tracks” when it abuses its power. The FBI doesn’t tell congress the complete truth about how many National Security Letters they request. They used the excuse of bad organization so that they could tell congress that they were lying. Furthermore, the FBI often withholds the information that it had abused its power. Therefore, the footprints, trailing behind the gloves, are stopped when they meat the FBI gloves. The footprints represent the FBI abuses of its power and of other people’s Civil Rights.

Sedition Act


The Sedition act of 1918 limited Americans freedom of speech. The lips, which are the voice of the people, are sealed shut with a zipper. This represents how American citizens were forbade to speak out against the government. They were not allowed to use disloyal or abusive language about the United States government, the U.S. flag, or the armed forces. Furthermore, the people who did speak out against the government could have their mail with-held from them. This clearly contradicts the first amendment which says that every citizen has the right to free speech.

Patriot Act


The Patriot Act was made to counter the terrorist threat. It gives the FBI and other investigative committees even more power than they had before the September 11 attacks. The FBI can now investigate people not because of their criminal actions, but because it is for “intelligence purposes.” The bill of rights, crumpled into a ball, is being thrown away into a trash can marked as the Patriot Act. This symbolizes how the Patriot act is overriding the Bill of Rights which gives American Citizen most of their basic rights. When the Bill of Rights is crumpled up, it shows how the rights garenteed by the Bill, are being overridden.

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