] "Let history be witness I am a criminal." This story is interesting on a number of levels. Outwardly, you've got the small town library fighting to protect it's patron list. Secondly, you've got the FBI not using the Patriot act to collect that list. Its informative on that level. They likely didn't use the patriot act because the conservatives are fond of defending the ability to collect library records by saying that its never been used. On the other hand, because they didn't use the patriot act the library is screaming to high heaven about the inquiry. If they had reason to suspect that an Islamic terrorist did actually read this book that guy has lots and lots of notice that the feds are on to him. In a way, by running screaming to the press the library is demonstrating why the feds need gag orders on libraries. (My defense here of gag orders should not be misconstrued as a defense of the collection of this data without a court order.) The third level is the interest in the first place. Why get a grand jury involved just because someone scribbled a quote in the margins of a book? Is this a Bin Lauden quote? Googling the quote only returns references to this story. One blogger from the area claims to have seen another quotation in a TV news report about the incident. I wonder if the quotation is entirely different then these two and one which hasn't been made public... Something only someone connected to the base would know... (Turns out the correct quote is "Let history be witness that I am a criminal." Google it.) komo 4 news | Small Town Library Takes On The Feds |