Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Philip Davis
Location
Acton, MA
For/Against
For
have heard that the Kilton Public Library had been running a TOR relay for
a period of time until the town was contacted by the Department of Homeland
Security. I understand that DHS, via the local police department, emphasized
the misuse of TOR, raising the question whether the library should remain
engaged in this service. As someone who has run a TOR relay myself, I share
the library's concerns regarding the use of the TOR network by criminals.
Any publicly available service will be used by both criminals and legitimate
users. But we do not shut down roads just because they can also be used by
bank robbers and drunk drivers. The service that TOR provides is useful to
many people who value their privacy and to those who otherwise might be at
risk for retaliation by their governments. I believe that the benefits
provided by this anonymization service far outweigh the problems resulting
from its illegitimate use.
In fact, substantial funding for the TOR project comes from our own
government, specifically the Department of State and the Department of
Defense (2013 report). Our government finds it useful to support technologies
and services that enable those in other countries who may be at risk to
communicate with the outside world safely. Unfortunately, not all of our
government speaks with one voice on this, and DHS finds itself in conflict
with the idea of safe and secure anonymous communication.
I was proud to be a member of the community that supports TOR and that
provides services to secure communications for people all around the world. I
encourage the Kilton library to resume running their TOR node and to support
free exchange of ideas and knowledge worldwide.
I would be happy to discuss my experience running a TOR relay or any related
topic with representatives from the library. Please contact me via email with
any questions, concerns, or comments.
Robert Rushton
Brookline, NH
For
Hello!
I just read an article about what your library is doing/testing to help
preserve the civil liberties of our patrons. I am a student in California
and have nearly completed my Library Technician program with the aim of
working in the library field. I think what you are doing is amazing. While
I am not a member of the community you serve or likely ever to avail myself
of your services, I just wanted to write you and say how much I appreciate
what you are doing. It's an unfortunate fact that someone always has to be
the first and feel alone, but you have, at the very least, my support.
Fight on.
Christen Ratliff
California
For
-Christen
Hi,
I grew up in Lebanon but I don't really follow local news anymore. However
I'm quite proud that a little library in my city has become an international
news item by fighting for something so important as anonymity on the
internet.
Devin Bayer
Former Lebanon
Resident
For
Stay strong!
~ Devin
As a former Lebanon resident and high school alum, I was proud to read that
Lebanon Public Libraries were first in the country to set up a TOR relay
under the Library Freedom Project. I find it entirely appropriate that the
library implement such a technical measure to help protect first and fourth
amendment rights. Therefore, I was saddened to hear that, following
inquiries from DHS via the police department, the relay was disabled pending
further discussion by the board of trustees.
DHS/police concerns that TOR can be used by bad actors should be dismissed.
Of course TOR can be abused, but so can any number of other useful tools.
Pointing to "pornography and drug trafficking" is transparent fear-mongering.
TOR is an important tool, sponsored by the U.S. State Department, that
helps
protect freedoms on-line. It is not a scary cyber-weapon designed by ISIS.
Freedoms come with costs: you have to fight to get them, you have to fight to
keep them, and sometimes people you don't like get to take advantage of them.
If the cost of protecting our intellectual freedom and privacy is that law
enforcement finds it slightly less convenient to surveil some suspects, we
should be willing to pay that fee.
Tom Hassett
Former Lebanon
Resident
For
Florian Pruetz
Germany
For
I think it was a really great step when you decided to support the TOR
network with your library infrastructure. Dont let anyone pressure you into
not supporting free speech and free actions!
Dear Trustees,
thank you for being the first to understand that New Hampshire citizens have
a right to enjoy our privacy and live free. We have given up our freedom for
so called security and we have now have neither.
I hope you as New Hampshire citizens, involved daily with the 1st
Amendment,
will grasp our Live Free or Die heritage and stand firm on providing a legal
service for your patrons until at least a court order suspends that service.
There are things worst than death and blindly bowing to police oppression
over freedom may be one.
The American free library disappeared after 911 when libraries, if they wish
to continue to operate, must turn over patrons reading lists under a gag
order from Homeland Security.
I would hope that the trustees review again their initial reasons to allow
the use of Tor and determine if patrons would be allowed to use Tor, a legal
form of internet use, or admit that we live in a police state and libraries
must operate under the permission of police enforcement even to utilize a
legal internet access.
I understand you will be intimidated, harassed and threatened which is now
becoming the norm when encountered by the police. I do not believe you are
and I do not think the trustees believe they are part of law enforcement.
There have been too many bills and comments of the judicial in the General
Court that convictions should be made easier and due process be dismissed for
efficiency and costs.
Thomas Ploszaj
Grafton, NH
For
Vincent Moore
Danielle
Hanover
Kentucky
For
For
I just wanted to applaud you guys for being the first library to use
the TOR browser. Freedom is slipping away more and more in our country and
none existent in other countries. This is a very important tool to help
preserve free speech for all man kind. I hope other institutes follow your
lead, I will be writing to the local library where I live in Kentucky. I hope
you all vote to keep it running!
I live in Lancaster, not Lebanon, but I believe that both freedom of
information and privacy in one's own thoughts and interests, are of interest
to everyone in New Hampshire.
Please continue the TOR project, so that we can help spread it to other New
Hampshire libraries.
Kevin Craig
Lancaster, NH
For
Thank you.
Hi Sean
Saw the article today in the paper. Only my opinion but I agree with the police on this. I am concerned that people
will use our space to access the Internet for criminal activities.
Especially and maybe because today is 9/11 I feel strongly that anonymous use of the Internet is a problem and
having the library available with these tools in our world today would definitely handicap homeland security and
police enforcement.
Please consider this. We live in a dangerous world. I realize others may disagree and want to protect their privacy
at all cost, but in my opinion anything we can do to stop criminals will in the end make our world safer.
Thanks Sean!
You know I always felt that kids should not be able to take out videos that were clearly marked PG and R but
librarians didn't believe in "censorship". Personally I think we should believe in common sense. Take care and
have a great day. My opinion doesn't always rule the day!
Annie Silverstein
Against
Lebanon, NH
For
Carl N. Porter
Lebanon Resident, Ward 3
I will be attending the meeting tomorrow evening, but wanted to write as well
in support of the library KEEPING the Tor node. I grew up in the police state
of South Africa during the apartheid era, and am thoroughly disillusioned
with the direction America is taking. This sort of intimidation tactic is
something you would see in a totalitarian state like the one I am from, where
books where banned, people's actions were monitored, and where we feared the
government at every turn, never knowing what the next thing would be that
would be censored or what would make us subject to warrantless suspicion,
supervision, and possible arrest . It is only a matter of time before this
country devolves into a true police state. It might seem like a trivial
matter, it might seem like it's easier to acquiesce to the DHS's demands, but
you are a front line in the fight to retain our freedoms and our right to
privacy. Free people should be able to read what they want without being
monitored and without fear of the government. Founder father, Thomas
Jefferson said it best: "When government fears the people, there is liberty.
When the people fear the government, there is tyranny."
Please fight back on this issue and helped to stop tyranny and
totalitarianism. Our freedom depends on it! Thanks for your consideration.
Carla Gericke
Lebanon, NH
For
Best regards,
Carla Gericke
Hey there,
I would like to help you with your recent pause of the Tor relay project.
Please contact me.
Cody
Lebanon, NH
For
Thank you,
Cody
I support using Lebanon's library computers as Tor nodes.
As someone on Propublica's Facebook page commented: "I wonder if the
government would be so quick to infringe on the rights of individuals if you
substitute "guns" for "Tor"? As in, "The use of guns is not, in [or] of
itself, illegal and there are legitimate purposes for their use. However, the
protections that guns offer can be attractive to criminal enterprises or
actors and HSI [Homeland Security Investigations] will continue to pursue
those individuals who seek to use them to further their illicit activity."
--Elizabeth Nestler, 31 Wellington Circle, Lebanon, NH
https://act.eff.org/action/support-tor-and-intellectual-freedom-in-libraries
Elizabeth
Nestler
Lebanon, NH
For
This is a 4 page letter explaining why Tor is important and refuting some of
the arguments Homeland Security and law enforcement have put forth. I hope
the trustees will read it.
https://libraryfreedomproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Kilton-Letter.pdf
Petra
Lebanon, NH
Lebanon, NH
For
-Lee Sussman
For
For
Hello Sean,
My name is Jonathan Proulx. I'm the Sr. Technical Architect at MIT's
Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) where I've
been running TOR relay and exit nodes for most of the past 12 years or
so. This has been a personal project of mine with the knowledge and
consent of my employer, but I should be clear that I'm speaking only
for my self and not MIT.
I imagine you've heard the ethical and philosophical arguments for and
against TOR rather a bit more than you might like at this point, so I
shan't repeat them. Obviously I am in the 'for' camp.
I would like to share my practical experience of running and exit
node. As you are likely aware 'exit' nodes are where all the traffic
exiting the TOR net work appears to come from and where all the
complaints about bad activity on the network go to.
In all my years I have only receive one single request for information
about traffic exiting my node from Law Enforcement (relating to credit
card fraud). At one point more than 1% of all TOR traffic was exiting
through my node, this has decreased as the network has grown and I've
need to scale back our donated bandwidth. It appears this number is
down to 0.03% now but even at that I have greater than 300 active
outbound connections. That's quite a large number of users over the
years to result in only one actor bad enough to bring Law Enforcement
attention. We do get smaller complaints from private individuals
about port scans or copyright violations but even those tend to
average only 1 or 2 per week (we get more complaints that related to
broken computers on our network than we do from the TOR node).
Simply put based on the complaints I've heard over a long period as a
TOR exit node operation the 'evil' uses of TOR are vastly overstated.
If you have any questions I'd be more than happy to talk further but
for now I feel I've taken enough of your time.
Thanks,
Jonathon Proulx
MA
For
-Jon
Thank you for supporting internet privacy! Please don't kowtow to the federal
government's unfounded fearmongering. Their vested interests in controlling
and monitoring our every move is NOT appreciated. (Any books they'd like you
to burn while they're making requests?) Thanks for standing up for individual
rights and inspiring others to do the same. You are a beacon of liberty!
Thank you thank you thank you!
Randy Clemens
Manchester, NH
For
No Name Sam
Maryland
For
YOU ARE NOT ALONE! So many of us who champion the people's right to privacy
stand united with you and applaud you for doing what is right. It is my home
that all libraries around the world will host TOR nodes, to make the internet
safer. Yes, it can be used by criminals, but so can guns, so can cars, so can
anything. Even the simple act of mailing a letter via the post office holds
an equal amount of risk and even as much privacy in most cases (criminals use
the mail to send encoded messages since a warrant is required to open mail).
I hope you prevail in your efforts and urge you to not give up the good fight
and know you guys are not alone.
Thank you for your time,
No Name Sam
This article was recently circulated on the mailing list of the Berkman
Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University.
https://www.propublica.org/article/library-support-anonymous-internet-browsing-effort-stops-after-dhsemail
I wanted to take a brief moment, in a personal capacity, to thank you and
your colleagues for taking up this courageous and ground-breaking effort.
Whatever comes of the project (and I hope it takes root and grows), this kind
of innovation in the future of library services and free inquiry is laudable
and important.
Justin Reich
Massachutsetts?
For
Mr. Fleming, Mr. McAndrew, and the Rest of the Library Community,
Please turn your Tor relay back on.
By now, I'm sure you know how important Tor can be for protecting rights
online. You've heard from groups like the Library Freedom Project and the
Electronic Frontier Foundation, who can it explain the practical benefits
better than I can, so I will leave that to them.
Instead, my plea to you is personal.
I want you to run your Tor relay because I run a Tor relay. And whatever you
can do to support the Tor project makes it easier for me and others like me.
No doubt, we have many of the same reasons to support Tor, and unfortunately
we might confront some of the same risks like public controversy or
unwanted attention from police. It seems like most Tor operators can work on
the project indefinitely without facing the scrutiny you've run into, but
still we all have to consider, plan for, and sometimes deal with those same
hazards.
The public controversy you've run into is at a level I probably will never
encounter as an independent Tor operator. Still, it can be a controversial
subject when I mention Tor to friends and family, especially if all they've
heard is that it's mostly used by criminals. Sometimes it's an uphill battle
to convince people of all the good done by the Tor project, but that is made
so much easier when there are large institutions that support Tor. I can
point people to my school, the University of Michigan, which also runs Tor
relays. When I first read about the Library Freedom Project last fall, I was
excited that there might soon be libraries I could cite as positive examples
of Tor operators. These simple examples make it so much easier for people to
see Tor for what it is. You can help re-frame Tor from something nefarious to
something which lets people read privately without anyone digitally leering
over their shoulder. Your Tor relay can help change conversations, both
generally and the ones I literally face day to day.
Then there is the risk of unwanted attention from the police, which, again,
seems rare but obviously does still happen. Knowing this, I still take the
risk and run a Tor relay on my own. I'm willing to do this, in part, because
I assume I'm better situated than most to bear that risk. I know the
technology, I know the law, and I know who to contact if there's ever any
trouble. In truth, that protection may not amount to much, but it still makes
me far less vulnerable than many Tor users around the world, so I'm willing
to use my relative privilege to help others. At the same time, though, I'm
really counting on larger organizations to do the same for me. Your library
has plenty more technical resources than I do, plus special legal privileges
and explicit support from lawyers at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. I
need you to used your relatively privileged position to help me. Because if
you give in to police pressure, I have to reconsider just how vulnerable I
am. Regardless your decision on Tuesday, I will keep recommending Tor to
people, but maybe I'll have to be more cautious about it. And I will keep
running my Tor relay, but maybe more fearfully.
Ritchie Wilson
Michigan
For
So when Tor comes up for discussion again on Tuesday, I hope you all remember
the reasons you voted to run a relay in the first place. I hope you also
consider that some of us other Tor operators are anxiously watching this
unfold.
Lastly, I expect you have been getting pressure from all sides on this issue
(including my own kind of heavy-handed letter here), and in the midst of
this, I have to thank you for taking on this project in the first place.
Whatever happens Tuesday, it's wonderful that your library saw the importance
of this work and were willing to try to help, so thanks.
Ritchie Wilson
I support Tor relay, not only Kilton Library, but all of our libraries across
NH. We need to protect intellectual freedom. Let us not back down, but push
forward. I urge the board to vote for Tor relay on September 15th.
Billie-Jean
Greene
Nashua, NH
For
Thanks in advance,
Billie-Jean Greene
Nashua, NH
Joel Cox
Brian Hunt
New Hampshire
New Hampshire
North Adams, MA
For
You are not alone in this fight! New Hampshireites cares about their privacy!
For
I just wanted to say that I hope the Tor service at the Kilton
Library is restarted soon. I understand there was pressure to turn it off
from the DHS and/or city government, but it is exactly this sort of pressure
that libraries need to be able to ignore if they are to fulfill their
mission. I live in another part of New Hampshire, but I was proud for my
state that a library here was pioneering digital freedom in this way.
For
Hello all,
I read about your situation on boing boing today.
http://boingboing.net/2015/09/10/library-offers-tor-nodes-dhs.html
I want to congratulate you folks on your far sighted support of privacy and
TOR.
While I'm not a direct patron of your library I wish I was.
Good luck and best wishes.
Brian Hunt
N.Adams, MA
To Sean Fleming - While you may be one of the first Library organizations to
offer public browsing via the Tor engine, please know that you shouldn't feel
lonesome! I strongly encourage you to petition your Board of Directors to
reinstate the project for the good of your community! Ensuring that the First
Amendment is not trampled into oblivion by fear and intimidation is of the
utmost importance. The illogical argument that it should be banned because
"criminals can use it" cannot be allowed to prevail over common sense that
tells us criminals will always find a way, regardless of the means.
Thank you SO much for introducing your community to this wonderful
technology. Being in the spotlight for such a noble cause may obviously bring
a lot of unwanted attention but please keep in mind it's leaders like
yourselves, and initiatives like this, that help to preserve the rights we
deem protected by the Constitution of the United States of America.
Jonathon Proulx
Pennsylvania
For
Scott Campbell
Seacoast
For
THANK YOU!
Sean, I applaud your efforts. Along the same lines, I installed DuckDuckGo as the default browser on my PCs last
year. Have you done this? Keep fighting the good fight!
Best,
Scott
Thank you for supporting the Tor exit relay. Libraries are a fundamental
proponent of free speech and support like yours, like bodies as the State
Department does, are critical components. Considerations (e.g. to law
enforcement, etc) are legitimate but can be managed in a sensible manner.
Rob Hagopian
Sunapee, NH
For
Andy Wood
Unknown
For
Rob M Hagopian
c/o 69 Rolling Rock Rd Sunapee NH
You know what books and TOR have in common, they can be used for good or criminal activity. Perhaps you
should pack up all your books and put them in a storage locker.
Tell the DHS I said HI, and suck it!
Hello,
As per your publicly embarrassing Tor issues (and may other events in the
past): Chuck is not adequately educated in the realm of computer science to
be making such bold decisions. As a second example, Chuck "plays" with Linux,
and you need a Linux Admin. He at least needs some peer review in some of his
inane choices: A technical board, perhaps? His internal approval is obviously
maintained by non-technical types who don't understand the larger impact of
some of his choices.
Anonymous
Unknown
Against
Anonymous
Unknown
For
So you guys put the tail between legs..... because cops dont like
Tor?
Hello, I just want to express myself about the library and it's decision to
stop using "Tor" . Being with 'Reporters Without Borders" I find great
weakness on your part to be intimidated by your local law enforcement. You
all should close the public library or resist this sort of intimidation.
Intellectual freedom is the right of every individual to both seek and
receive information from all points of view without restriction. It provides
for free access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides
of a question, cause or movement may be explored. Intellectual freedom is the
basis for our democratic system. We expect our people to be self-governors.
But to do so responsibly, our citizenry must be well-informed. Libraries
provide the ideas and information, in a variety of formats, to allow people
to inform themselves.
Intellectual freedom encompasses the freedom to hold, receive and disseminate
idea's. Censorship is the suppression of ideas and information that certain
personsindividuals, groups or government officialsfind objectionable or
dangerous. It is no more complicated than someone saying, Dont let
anyone read this book, or buy that magazine, or view that film, because I
object to it! Censors try to use the power of the state to impose their
view of what is truthful and appropriate, or offensive and objectionable, on
everyone else. Censors pressure public institutions, like libraries, to
suppress and remove from public access information they judge inappropriate
or dangerous, so that no one else has the chance to read or view the material
and make up their own minds about it. The censor wants to prejudge materials
for everyone. Censorship occurs when expressive materials, like books,
magazines, films and videos, or works of art, are removed or kept from public
access. Individuals and pressure groups identify materials to which they
object. Sometimes they succeed in pressuring schools not to use them,
libraries not to shelve them, book and video stores not to carry them,
publishers not to publish them, or art galleries not to display them.
Censorship also occurs when materials are restricted to particular audiences,
based on their age or other characteristics.
Who Attempts Censorship?
In most instances, a censor is a sincerely concerned individual who believes
that censorship can improve society, protect children, and restore what the
censor sees as lost moral values. But under the First Amendment to the United
States Constitution, each of us has the right to read, view, listen to, and
disseminate constitutionally protected ideas, even if a censor finds those
ideas offensive. How Do Censors Justify Their Demands That Information Be
Suppressed?
Bill Jones
Unknown
For
Birk Larsen
Bryan
Unknown
Unknown
For
Please don't back down from the good your local community library is
providing with the TOR node/service. DHS, police, and many other "authority"
figures really don't understand what TOR is or provides, and simply feel
threatened by it's presence, as do many international "authority" figures in
oppressive regimes throughout the world. It is a beneficial service for free
speech used by millions worldwide. Thanks to the Patriot Act and subsequent
fear-based legislation, our ability to freely pursue knowledge through our
local library systems is continually threatened. Please continue what you
have started and reinstate the services you have suspended. Thank you for
what you do and what you provide!
For
I'd like to suggest you turn back on the tor project you started. I
realize the concern that it may be used by criminals, but with anything good
comes bad uses. Airplanes are great because they greatly reduce travel time
especially over long distances, but look at how they were used an 9/11. Tor
offers a great privacy service to customers and the public that allows them
to browse the internet anonymously, however of course, people can also use
the service for criminal activities. To be honest, if we didn't allow
something good because it could be used in a bad way our world would be
vastly different... No computers (hackers), no cars (hit and runs), no
smartphones (apps tracking your location), no pens (you could stab
someone)... and the list goes on. Shutting it down for good would be the
equivalent of saying "we don't want you reading any books unless we know what
books your reading... because we want to know if you're reading anything that
might link you to criminal activity."
For
Hi, I know you are reconsidering the use of the Tor network. I
understand there are many concerns with people misusing the system, and those
concerns aren't wholly unfounded. I would like to show my support of using
the Tor system. The Tor system is not illegal, and while it can be misused
(as any useful product can be) I believe that privacy, free speech, and the
knowledge that one is not constantly under scrutiny are ideals we should
protect, and support. I would, of course, understand if the task of being the
first library to do this was simply too arduous, but I do hope you consider
turning it back on. Thank you for your time.
If, instead of "use of a Tor browser..." HSI had said "First Amendment to the
United States Constitution...", would we quit providing it; I think not.
Please don't back down.
Charles
Unknown
For
"The use of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution is not,
in [or] of itself, illegal and there are legitimate purposes for its use,
Neudauer said, However, the protections that the First Amendment to the
United States Constitution offers can be attractive to criminal enterprises
or actors and HSI [Homeland Security Investigations] will continue to pursue
those individuals who seek to use the anonymizing technology to further their
illicit activity."
Hello,
I read about the cancellation of your Tor exit node in the Pro Publica
article, here:
https://www.propublica.org/article/library-support-anonymous-internet-browsing-effort-stops-after-dhs-email
I am very sorry to hear that you were badgered by the DHS. Please do not
bow-down to them. Tor is supported by the State Department and is critical to
help maintain liberties worldwide. If it were not for Tor, political
activists would not be able to operate as safely.
We are edging closer to "1984" and "A Brave New World" every day. I applaud
you for having created the Tor exit node in the first place. I hope you will
stand up for liberty and restore operations in the future. It is true that
some criminals use Tor, but it is also true that criminals use guns and take
advantage of other constitutional liberties, too. That is no reason to
circumvent those liberties.
Warmly,
Chris Gagne
Chris Lopez
Chris Meister
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
For
Chris Gagne
For
I condemn the scare tactics of the DHS and local police, and pledge my full
support to Kilton Library to help you keep your Tor relay. This library has
the right to support and use this powerful tool for digital free expression
without fear of government bullying.
Don't let law enforcement fearmongering give way to cold feet about running a
Tor relaybecause this software helps support privacy and intellectual
freedom. You have my support behind this important privacy-enhancing project.
Thank you!
For
I saw that the Board will be discussing TOR, and just wanted to point out
that the Center for High Assurance Computer Systems of the U.S. Naval
Research Laboratory was instrumental in creating this technology.
Here is what their website looked like in 2005 http://www.onion-router.net/ Note the header reference to US Naval Research Lab.
Yes, many criminals use this technology.
One of the most common crimes committed is called free speech in countries
where free speech is a crime.
Also, a few other technologies that should be abandoned due to widespread
criminal use...
email
telephones
automobiles
computers
flashlights
knives
guns - 2nd Amendment is sacred. The 1st Amendment is not so much.
Thank you for helping the cause of free speech.
It can be difficult sometimes to know in which direction the correct choice
lies.
All I know is that I fear silencing free speech.
More TOR nodes means more people living in dangerous places can have their
voices heard.
We must help them.
Thank you,
Chris Murphy
Unknown
For
Chris Murphy
703-727-1613
Thank you for having begun running a Tor node. Services like that are
essential not only to the citizens of NH, but of the US and the world at
large, and it seems to me that public libraries are uniquely qualified to
operate them.
It is unfortunate that there are those who hate the idea of not being able to
spy on their fellows, whether for good or ill (we regularly see stories about
abuses and even crimes committed by various security agencies, whether local
or national, things that few prosecutors have the courage to tackle).
I don't use Tor much myself, but having it available is a safeguard to the
freedom of people worldwide. Of course it is true that bad actors can also
use it, just as they can breathe the air, drive on the roads, and drink milk.
That is unfortunate, but is one of the risks of having a free society.
David Garland
Unknown
For
Denis Goddard
Unknown
For
Ellen Gitomer
Lebanon, NH
For
I hope the Library Board will stand tall and have the service restarted. As
they say, "Live Free or Die".
New Hampshire famously and overwhelmingly opposed the Real-ID program, which
would have ostensibly increased safety, at the expense of a little privacy,
by linking all state drivers licenses into a federal database. At that time,
our legislature and our Governor very intentionally and publicly said "no" to
a $3 million federal grant, and to all the scare mongering that Washington,
DC could muster.
In the balance between privacy and perceived security, New Hampshire
overwhelmingly chooses privacy.
We support freedom of speech and privacy online, no matter what scare tactics
are leveled against us.
Let New Hampshire show the way. Let the Lebanon Public Library stand for New
Hampshire principles.
Thank you
Dear Sean
Bravo to you and the trustees for making Lebanon the first to use Tor in the library. Even not knowing where this
issue will land, we couldn't be prouder of your trailblazing. To us, this epitomizes the forward thinking that should
characterize our efforts. Best, Ellen and Will
Sent from my iPhone
Hi,
You don't know me, but I read about your plans to run a Tor relay and how law
enforcement involvement made the board of trustees nervous enough to consider
pulling out. I just wanted to thank you for taking the time and effort to
operate a relay, and to encourage you not give up the fight. Tor is an
important tool for dissidents living under a number of regimes, and each
relay (either intermediate or exit) helps keep the network alive. Keep up the
good work!
Greenville Wilson Unknown
Jared Higgins
Unknown
For
Yours,
Grenville Wilson
For
The Feds will absolutely have to tear that Tor server from your cold
dead hands before they unplug it. I thank you, patriots and saints at Lebanon
Libraries, for fighting the good fight for freedom of speech.
Hi Sean,
I wrote a letter to the editor regarding the Tor controversy. Alison from the Library Freedom Project suggested that
I pass it on to you. It's below. Thanks for all you do; I'm sure this brouhaha is eating up a lot of your time!
- Jeremy
P.S. There could be an opportunity for the library to raise money from the larger tech community that cares about
this issue.
Officer Matthew Isham Claims the Kilton Library Supports Terrorism. He's Wrong.
In America, it can be easy to feel that freedom of speech just is, like a physical law of nature. Unquestionable,
omnipresent, incontrovertible.
But history tells us this is not the case. In reality, the struggle for the freedom to voice an opinion requires constant
vigilance. Vigilance against people like Matthew Isham of the Lebanon Police Department.
A few months ago, the Library Freedom Project got together with the Kilton Library to set up a Tor node. A Tor
node is a computer program that facilitate anonymous communication online by accepting and forwarding data.
In response, the Boston Department of Homeland Security, in conjunction with the Lebanon Police Department,
leaned on the library to shut it down. They claimed the library was supporting terrorism and criminals.
Can Tor be used by criminals? Absolutely. So can a knife. But when a criminal uses a knife, we don't go after the
knife manufacturers. We go after the criminals. The Lebanon Police Department chose to go after the knife
manufacturers.
The ability to communicate anonymously is essential to a free society. When Thomas Paine published Common
Sense in 1776, he did so anonymously. Would the pamphlet that helped spark the revolution ever have been
written if he had to put his name on it?
Anonymous communication is no less vital today. It is used in dozens of countries with oppressive governments. It
was used by the reporters who broke the news that our own government has been spying on our calls and emails
for years while lying to us about it.
When the Kilton Library set up a Tor node, they may not have realized they were part of an endless struggle
between those who believe in freedom and those who would control us.
Jeremy Kauffman Unknown
Jim Allyn
John Byrnes
Unknown
Unknown
For
When they vote on Tuesday whether to continue running Tor, I hope they choose freedom. And I hope more
libraries join them.
For
For
Hi,
John Waterman
Unknown
For
Anonymous Browsing.
You know exactly why we need it.
You know exactly why they want it stopped.
You won't be free until you resist.
You are an American library?
Hi there,
I just wanted to drop you a note in support of the Tor relay in the Kilton Library. I believe that libraries should be
conduits for the free flow of information, and I hope you'll decide to turn the service back on.
Whatever the outcome, I will be following the conversation with great interest and will continue to support the
library.
Larissa King
West Lebanon
For
(Perhaps my message to you has been received when I mishit a key and it got
sent before I finished)
Louis A Kislik
Unknown
For
I have known of Tor for many years and have downloaded it. I don't use it
because for my purposes I have found there are many other ways to surf the
internet without my email address being known. I consider it most unlikely
that someone with evil intent would go to your library when staying at home
can provide the same anonymity. On the other hand, I commend the library for
providing a way for its users to protect their privacy from most web sites
grabbing hold of information about a surfing visitor. That's the problem,
not Tor. If our police and government see Tor as so dangerous why don't they
shut it down? Because our constitution won't let them, thankfully. If we
succumb to fearing the Boogieman around every corner we have given up the
freedom and liberty that makes the United States the great place it is. Sick
to your guns, Lebanon Libraries!
I agree that people should be allowed to learn and communicate freely without
oppression. We are all born with inalienable rights, that means we have them
at birth, not because our government grants them to us. We have the right to
look up medical conditions anonymously, to communicate with others without
government oversight and to be left to our own devices, as long as we are
following the law and not infringing on the rights of others. The possibility
of tor being used to commit a crime is not a good enough reason to restrict
it's use, especially when so many lives are enriched with the knowledge that
can be found there.
We live under the constant watchful eye of big brother and that has a
chilling effect on people, it makes people afraid to seek out information
that could possibly be used against them, or that they are embarrassed of.
I'm not talking about criminals, but the normal everyday people. I hope that
free speech and anonymous research are not taken away from the good people
that visit your library. Good luck.
Mark Harmon
Unknown
For
Regards,
Mark Harmon
Matt Flyer
Unknown
For
I urge the library board of trustees to turn the service back on and stand
firm in the understanding that their initial unanimous decision to join the
Tor network was most definitely the correct one.
Unknown
For
Michael Wood
Unknown
For
QuietZone: http://www.returnilvirtualsystem.com/
QZ features: http://qz.returnilvirtualsystem.com/features/
QuietZone on-line user's manual: http://qz.returnilvirtualsystem.com/support/
Hello;
I'm writing to encourage you to seriously reconsider the position regarding
the capabilities of utilizing an anonymous Internet proxy, namely Tor, for
your patrons.
There have been a lot of personal freedoms and behavior that have been
restricted if not outright eliminated due to events in the past two decades
that were and are outside of the control of the public. The service that you
were attempting to offer your patrons is valuable in protecting the patron's
identity, as well as encouraging their freedom to research and investigate
any topic or interest safely within your library system.
The concept of "protecting people from what they might do" has been used too
frequently and too often to further restrict personal freedoms and the
ability to investigate any topic in the past. Having the DHS and your local
police department react the way they do is, in my opinion, an overzealous and
likely fear-invoked response that there are elements that they need to
safeguard against to "protect" the public. This is fear mongering, and if we
were to follow that concept to other areas (as ridiculous as it might seem),
we may get conclusions such as:
- People should not have drivers licenses due to the possibility that they
will engage in reckless or criminal behavior.
- People should not be out at night past a certain hour due to the increase
in the possibility of a criminal interaction.
- People should not use encryption with their personal or confidential
communications because potential criminals may do so in order to engage in
that behavior.
Et al.
I do hope that your board of trustees is able to see the parallels between
these. Protecting people from what they might do may seem like a noble cause
from the outside, but when you start limiting what people feel "safe" in
researching or investigating, you are essentially censoring their ability to
use a library for its intended purpose.
Nathan Metheny Unknown
For
Patrick Henry
For
For
Paul Hindes
Unknown
Unknown
Peter Vinton Jr
Unknown
Unknown
For
Paul Whitson
For
Rich Heim
Ron Helwig
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
For
Sincerely
Randy Kelsey
For
I would like to thank you for considering the Tor browser for Lebanon
Library.As far as I am concerned unwarranted surveillance is a form of
illegal activity.
For
Just wanted to show my community support for your hosting of tor. Guns,
cellphones, cars and planes are all used by criminals to shoot innocent
people, traffic drugs and conduct illegal activities, yet we don't see law
enforcement outlawing any of those. Help protect free speech and the right to
privacy by reinstating your tor servers.
Roy Camp
Russell Senior
Ryan Schwark
Shane Wagner
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
For
For
For
Are you open to talking to other entities that run tor nodes or just
other libraries? I have been running a tor node for most of a year with no
issues.
For
Tim Saylor
Unknown
For
Hello,
As background: I am a cyber security contractor, I provide security
consulting to large brands and develop strategies to help ensure people
operate legally but also protecting their intellectual property.
I am a major advocate of the TOR protocol, I am aware that you guys are
discussing the future of TOR on your library computers and I want to strongly
encourage you to reinstate the program.
First, the very fact that you have received a notice from police is the
reason you should keep it going. Librarians have had a long history of
protecting the privacy of their patrons, and if for no other reason you guys
should keep it going in memory of Zoia Horn who was charged with contempt of
court for refusing to tell the government what her patrons were doing in the
library. This is a proud tradition for librarians, and I feel that you should
bring this tradition into the 21st century.
second, when I press "submit" on this form, anyone can read it. Not only can
anyone read it but everyone would know who I was. It's like sending a post
card, everything on the side is visible to everyone and my to and from area
is also visible. I have that luxury but what if this form was being sent to a
friend of mine in Cuba or Iran? What if I was just wanting to send a message
to a friend about trying to get out of an abusive relationship with a cop...
domestic violence in cop families is 40% higher than normal families. These
are also the people that have the ability to request information to get those
messages. Is it realistic that it is happening every day? No. It's also not
realistic to think that the Lebanon, NH patrons are planning some terrorist
attack, I would say a domestic violence survivor sounds way more likely.
There are other things too, people searching online about medical conditions,
or trying to message a friend to send them some proprietary work they have
been doing -- don't make them send that over the clear web where everyone
else can see their traffic.
Finally, had you guys thought about all this before launching the program and
never did it that would be one thing but you are also now setting precedent.
If you shut off the service, you will be telling any other library thinking
of doing this: "You can't beat the government, comply". It will be a chilling
effect to anyone who wants to run a service to help people.
Travis McCrea
Unknown
For
You can call me at any time at 206-552-8728 and I would be glad to talk to
you about this.
Vicky
Unknown
For
Chris Hartzell
Upper Valley
For
Upper Valley
For
Thank you & continue the support for Library Freedom Project.
-np-
Hey, I'm sure you're getting a lot of these emails these days. But I want to
raise my support of for the Privacy of Patrons at the Lebanon Library. I've
lived in Wilder for most of my life, and since the Kilton opened, I've often
wondered in there to do Homework, send emails, and other things, and enjoyed
the new space.
I love libraries, and have a strong fondness for librarians. I commend the
ALA's stance against the patriot act, and I commend the Librarians at
Kilton's stance on Tor, and anonymous web browsing. I strongly encourage the
trustees to actively support the staff in creating a safe space for patrons
to surf the web, and at the very least refrain from interfering with the
privacy of patrons. This is a model to uphold, not to tear down.
Griffin Shumway Wilder, VT
For
Woodbridge NJ
For
Fred Silbon