Vincent G. Rinn Law Library

3-D Printing - Now at Your Local Library , Home Gun Shop & Beyond

"Over the past 40 years, public libraries have followed popular culture through the ever-more-abstract artifacts of the digital age, offering music and video in every format, public computers for Internet access, online branches, and downloadable content...." More recently a number of libraries have turned back to the tangible and become involved in providing what are termed "Maker Spaces", including  hosting and supporting the local use of 3-D Printing machines.

The technology called 3-D Printing, also known as Additive Manufacturing, is used to build things by depositing material, layer by layer. It was once  a very expensive process used by industrial design for prototyping and model making.  Over the last 30  years it has become a wide-spread technology, affordable and accessible to small businesses and individuals. ( See Extensive Wikipedia entry for 3D printing )

The 3-D machines use software that provides a digital blueprint of an object which  direct the layer by layer assembly.  Fabrication materials can include liquids, powders, or sheet materials which are used to build the model from a series of cross sections.

A recent article in Library Journal, "The Makings of Maker Spaces, Part 1: Space for Creation, Not Just Consumption", describes how the new 3-D printing hardware and software are beginning to be hosted by and used in public libraries. This signals that as traditional libraries have been losing users to both their physical locations and online resources. New services and activities provided by and at the library, can engage and retain users in novel ways.

However, this emerging use of 3-D printing by students and hobbyist in the library has much more serious applications and implications, as a new form of manufacturing. A current law student article in "Cause of Action" the DePaul law student newspaper, "3-D Printing Technology Meet the Bill of Rights" (Feb. 14, 2013, p.6), alerts us to how 3-D printing can  provided the ability for individuals to manufacture their own working guns at home !  ( Probably not at the local library )

The author points to the work of a group calling itself Defense Distributed, that has demonstrated the ability to produce a restricted part for an assault rifle. He poses the question of how this emerging capability could seriously undermine the ability of governments to place restrictions on gun purchases. One can see how such requirements as background checks and even possible registration of guns, might become unfeasible, for weapons acquired in this fashion.

The author focuses on the possible implications if the government sought to then, control the availability and use of the software instructions for making these weapons. Much of the hardware designs and software for using personal 3-D printing are open source. As intellectual property or ideas, he sees First Amendment rights of expression implicated in any attempts by government to restrict the use and sharing of such software.

Such protagonist in this arena, like  "Defense Distributed", explicitly view their activities as part of the political contention around the use of guns in our society. In  Forbes article, "'Wiki Weapon Project' Aims To Create A Gun Anyone Can 3D-Print At Home", Cody Wilson, a 24-year-old second-year law student at the University of Texas, makes this clear :

"...But he doesn’t deny that the project’s goal is to subvert gun control regulations in America and around the world. “It’s one of the ideas of the American revolution that the citizenry should be the owners of the weapons,” says Wilson. “Every citizen has the right to bear arms. This is the way to really lower the barrier to access to arms. That’s what this represents.”

As serious as the implications from this use of 3-D printing are, there are sure to be many more disruptive effects both positive and negative, on society, from the continued development and uses of a technology that the Economist magazine describes as, amounting to a third industrial revolution.

If You Missed Justice Sotomayor at HWLC Last Night

Justice Sotomayor spoke last night at Harold Washington Library Center (HWLC) as part the book tour for her biography, "My Beloved World" .  She is the first Hispanic and third woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court. Her  book tells the story of her rise from a tenement to her entry into service as a federal judge in 1992.  Chicago Mayor  Emanuel introduced her to a sold-out crowd in the Winter Garden of the HWLC.

If you were unable to attend her presentation, the Chicago Public Library will probably make the audio of her remarks available online soon. But until then, there is an hour plus interview with Justice Sotomayor from Tuesday Jan. 29, available online for listening and /or downloading from the public radio web site of KPCC in Los Angeles. The interview was conducted by Patt Morrison who is a longtime reporter and columnist for the Los Angeles Times and  a regular commentator on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition".

Link to the interview webpage with links to listen or download the audio of the interview.

GPO Makes the Plum Book Available as an App

GPO ( Government Printing Office ) Makes the Plum Book Available as an App for the First Time GPO has made the United States Policy and Supporting Positions, or the ―The Plum Book, available for the first time as an app.

The publication lists more than 8,000 Federal civil service leadership and support positions in the executive and legislative branches that may be subject to noncompetitive appointment.

The Plum Book app allows users to view and search the publication by agency, position title, location, appointment type, pay plan and level, tenure and term expiration, and vacancy.

 You can direct your smartphones to the Plum Book app at:  m.gpo.gov/plumbook  ( Can be used on a PC too )

A PDF copy of PLUM BOOK also avaialble as PDF file(s)

**********************************************************

But how do I apply for the positions found in the PLUM BOOK ?

Presidential Appointments website application

Applying online is the quickest and most accurate way to submit your information. If you are unable to complete the application through this website, you can download a paper application by clicking here: Paper Application.

Other application tips, Washington Post article :
The Plum Book: How Do I Apply for a Job?    By Ed O'Keefe

"Science.gov" Celebrates 10 Years of Providing Sound Science to the Public

The National Academy of Sciences has defined scientific literacy as ‘‘the knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and processes required for personal decision-making, participation in civic and personal affairs, and economic productivity.’’

How scientifically literate we are  in the United States is really open to question.  A recent poll conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press (2009), finds that   only 28% of American adults currently qualify as scientifically literate.  Also, most scientists (85%) also think that one of the major problems for science is that the public does not know very much about science.

It is in this social context that the multi-organizational web site, Science .gov, was launched in 2002. Given the statistics mentioned above, the need for such a site that attempts to provide accessible and understandable information about science and its application in our lives, is sorely needed.

The website is the result of the collaborative effort of 17 U.S. government science organizations within 13 Federal Agencies. These agencies form the voluntary Science.gov Alliance which governs Science.gov.   "Currently in its fifth generation, Science.gov provides a search of over 55 scientific databases and 200 million pages of science information with just one query, and is a gateway to over 2100 scientific Websites."

October 2012 marked a major update to Science.gov , in honor of its 10th Anniversary. The current iteration of the web site provides many advanced features and capabilities :

• Accessing over 55 databases and 200 million pages of science information via one query
• Clustering of results by subtopics, authors, or dates to help you target your search
• Wikipedia results related to your search terms
• Eureka News results related to your search terms
• Mark & send option for emailing results to friends and colleagues
• Download capabilities in RIS
• Enhanced information related to your real-time search
• Aggregated Science News Feed, also available on Twitter
• Updated Alerts service
• Image Search

In the coming years, scientific innovation will have an ever increasing role in our daily lives and the global economy. Successfully dealing with emerging technologies and their attendant ethical questions, will require a more scientifically aware and literate citizenry. A broad-based educational program like Science .gov, is providing a key component in this effort. 

Congratulations to the Science.gov Alliance for ten years of exemplary service  to the public !

Commercial Tracking & Goverment Surveillance - Twin Privacy Risks

On Nov. 16, in a  federal court settlement, in the case of United States v. Google Inc., Google was charged $22.5 million to settle Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) commission claims that it had overridden user privacy settings on the Safari web browser to secretly track users. This case is emblematic of the marketing behavior of many commercial interests that  seek to gather as much information about potential customers, into detailed profiles, to help sell products and to sell that information, as a product itself.

A March 2012, FTC report, "Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change", states that "In today’s world of smart phones, smart grids, and smart cars, companies are collecting, storing, and sharing more information about consumers than ever before. Although companies use this information to innovate and deliver better products and services to consumers, they should not do so at the expense of consumer privacy." The report expands on   privacy principles previously enunciated back in 2010. These include:

• Privacy by Design: Build in privacy at every stage of product development;
• Give consumers the ability to make decisions about their data at a relevant time and context;
• Make information collection and use practices transparent.

Earlier this year the Obama administration proposed a Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, calling on  Congress to pass legislation that applies the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights to commercial sectors that are not subject to existing Federal data privacy laws. In the report, "Consumer Data Privacy in a Networked World", the President states that, "Neither consumers nor companies have a clear set of ground rules to apply in the commercial arena. As a result, it is difficult today for consumers to assess whether a company’s privacy practices warrant their trust."

The very same observation could be applied to the detailed personal information-gathering of various levels of government as exemplified in the functioning of the governmental "Fusion Centers". These centers are entities that integrate the gathering, storage, sharing, and analysis of  national security intelligence. Fusion centers are owned and operated by state and local entities with support from federal partners.

In an article in the "The Brief" ( v. 70 nos. 3-4, Fall 2012 ) the ACLU of Illinois, comments on their new report on ,"Fusion Centers in Illinois". "Fusion Centers use a multiple of private and public resources to gather quantities of personal information about many people"

"The State Police fusion center has access to the databases owned and operated by private data mining corporations.  These include Dun and Bradstreet, Experian, ISO ClaimSearch, and Lexis-Nexis (including its subsidiaries Accurint and ChoicePoint).  These private databases provide non-criminal information about millions of innocent persons, including their identifying information, employment and medical history, property, licenses, credit, and neighbors and relatives."

This is where there is an actual coming together of the commercially gathered personal information and that which the government gathers on its own. While the government may be proscribed from gathering some of this information. They can just buy it from the commercial sector that has no such restrictions.

The FTC, the President and Congress appear to be aware of the need for rules on how commercial entities gather and use our personal information. However, since most of the work of the Fusion Centers is done in secret, they are in serious need of recognized privacy policies for how they carry out their work.  The ACLU of Illinois recommends that :

• Fusion centers should be barred from gathering, storing, or sharing any information about any individual person absent individualized reasonable suspicion that the person is engaged in criminal activity.

• Fusion centers should be barred from gathering, storing, or sharing any information about any individual person due, in whole or in part, to that individual’s race, religion, political beliefs.

• Fusion centers should independently determine the accuracy of information, before they store and share that information.

• People should be able to find out whether a fusion center is storing information about them and to learn the substance of that information.

If  commercial data gathering is perceived as endangering our privacy, then the vast new power of government fusion centers, also creates new threats that need to be addressed.

 

Attacks on Census Funding - Claiming To Solve Our Economic Problems In The Dark ?

With the  first spending bill of the year, The House Appropriations Committee's bill  for Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations, slashes government's data collection arm by 25 percent. The cuts in question target the Commerce Department's Census Bureau . The U.S. House of Representatives voted  (232 - 190) to eliminate all funding for the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), which replaced the traditional census long form starting with the 2010 Census. These cuts follow the Obama's own proposed cuts to the bureau's budget.

A U.S. Department Of Commerce, Office of Inspector General's report, in June 2011,  raised questions re. the cost of conducting the ten-year census mandated by the constitution. However, the Census Bureau has been striving to cut administrative costs, re-engineer their survey processes to bring down its costs while maintaining the quality & accuracy of the statistics  gathered.

But for most of the congresspersons who want to gut the Census Bureau, it's not only about costs.  "Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) famously declared she would not fill out her 2010 Census form, even though doing so is required by the Constitution and law. Bachmann even raised the specter of the World War II-eraJapanese interment camps to argue against the Census."

And while the Economic Census is the foundation for the country's most important measures of our economy,  House Appropriations Chairman Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) claims that  "This legislation roots out extraneous, duplicative and unnecessary programs while prioritizing some of the most critical aspects of government," One wonders how having accurate & authoritative economic data, esp. in these times, can be seen as unnecessary !

The damage that these apparently ideologically motivated cuts will cause is significant. "The Census Bureau would have to terminate major statistical programs, cease critical data collection and vital benchmark reports on the nation's economy, population and housing, as well as lay off off as many as 700 employees."

As Census Director Robert M. Groves states, The ACS is our country’s only source of small area estimates on social and demographic  characteristics."  Manufacturers, retail businesses , home builders, local communities all rely on its updated data. "There is no substitute from the private sector for ACS small area estimates."

The cuts would prevent the continuing work on finalizing the results from the 2010 census. Also, not being able to test new methods will probably mean that the 2020 census will not be at a  lower cost per household than that of the 2010 Census. If saving taxpayer money is a real motive, the cuts don't really further that objective.

Business interests do not support the proposed drastic cuts. "The Chamber of Commerce, for example, strongly advocates funding them, since its members rely so much on the information they provide on basic things such as household spending, per capita income, and population estimates. " Andrew Reamer, a research professor at the George Washington University Institute of Public Policy states that “The loss of the American Community Survey will cause chaos and inefficiency in the operations of business and government in the U.S.,”

 As  Phillip Swagel, an economist and nonresident scholar at American Enterprise Institute states, “Those agencies are essential,” “The data they provide really tell us what’s going on in the economy. This shouldn’t be a political issue.” Unfortunately, it appears, that is exactly what it has become.

Family Law Center Lecture : Rape Allegations in the 21st Century

Historians' Law Suit Gets Release of Nixon Grand Jury Files

In the federal court case, of In Re Petition of Stanley Kutler, et al', filed by Stanley Kutler, Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin, the American Historical Association, the American Society for Legal History, the Organization of American Historians, and the Society of American Archivists, the Court was asked to unseal the transcripts of President Richard M. Nixon’s grand jury testimony during June 23 and 24, 1975.

According to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) press release, the Watergate Special Prosecution Force (WSPF) had decided that it  was necessary to question former President Richard M. Nixon in connection with various investigations being conducted by by the Special prosecutor at the time. According to courts documents, the agreement to take President Nixon’s testimony in connection with its open investigations, was conducted in a manner that would avoid litigation over such issues as executive privilege.

"On June 23 and 24, 1975, President Nixon testified for eleven hours before two members of the grand jury and several WSPF attorneys. Afterward, a full transcript of the proceeding was read to the remaining members of the grand jury in Washington, DC."

Traditionaly grand jury testimony is to remain secret. But the rule of grand jury secrecy is not without exceptions. After considering several factors raised by the petitioners and the government, the judge decided that :

"Taken together, the Court finds that the relevant factors weigh in favor of unsealing President Nixon’s grand jury testimony and the WSPF’s associated materials, subject to NARA’s review procedures. The special circumstances presented here—namely, undisputed historical interest in the requested records—far outweigh the need to maintain the secrecy of the records. The Court is confident that disclosure will greatly benefit the public and its understanding of Watergate without compromising the tradition and objectives of grand jury secrecy".

As a result of this ruling, the National Archives opened 26 files from its Records of the Watergate Special Prosecution Force (WSPF) collection including transcripts of President Nixon’s grand jury testimony of June 23-24, 1975. There are some redactions made for the privacy of still-living persons and for national security.

The materials may be obtained at the following websites:

Government Printing Office (GPO)
    Scribd
        Our Archives - Wiki

Events in Norway Have U.S. Echos

Two recent news reports on the politically motivated attacks in Norway : "Norway attacks focus attention on US right-wing extremists" (msnbc) and "We could have another Timothy McVeigh': U.S. authorities warned against anti-Islamic terrorism after Norway shooter 'inspired' by Robert Spencer and Unabomber" ( dailymail.com, Daily Mail UK), have anti-terrorism experts warning U.S. authorities in the wake of the attacks.

In the stories, a connection is made with US right-wing ideologues who were heavily quoted or paraphrased in the 1500 word manifesto that the admitted perpetrator had posted online before carrying out the attacks. While this may show some commonality in approaching issues of immigration, trends toward multicultural populations and ideas of cultural identity, by itself, this overlap should not imply that the like-minded US advocates condone such heinous actions. In fact, Mr. Robert Spencer states in the NBC News story that "'There’s nothing in any of my writings that is anything but a defense of human rights, a defence of the equality of rights of all people before the law.""So if somebody gets from that that they should kill, well then he’s nuts."

Having made that important distinction between being quoted by an accused terrorist and actually supporting or promoting similar acts, there is independent evidence for the concerns that there are individuals and groups in the U.S. who could conceivably engage in similar acts of terror.

The two news stories both quote U.S. anti-terrorism experts whose own work has raised expectations that certain domestic US individuals and groups could try to carry out such attacks in the US.

The Southern Poverty Law Center that monitors the activities of extremist groups of various political orientations, recently released a report that noted an upswing in anti-Islamic attacks in the United States in the past few years, including the burning of a mosque in Tennessee arsons and bombings in Florida, Michigan and Oregon. The report is entitled, "Jihad Against Islam.

In it's introduction the report states, "...an astonishing number of people have turned into a kind of political wolf pack, convinced that 0.6% of the U.S. population is on the verge of trampling the Constitution and imposing an Islamic, Shariah-guided caliphate in its place. Like the communists that an earlier generation believed to be hiding behind every rock, infiltrated "Islamist" operatives today are said to be diabolically preparing for a forcible takeover."

In the Daily Mail article Heidi Beirich from the Southern Poverty Law Center said: 'When you push the demonisation of populations, you often end up with violence."

Even more disturbing is that a report by Daryl Johnson, former senior domestic terrorism analyst at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and his team authored in April 2009, entitled "Right-wing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment.", has been removed from the DHS websites, even after it had been approved by DHS head Napolitano. The internal report was leaked and heavily attacked by conservative commentators who wrongly claimed it equated conservatives with terrorists.

The backlash did not stop there. Mr. Johnson's government unit was dismantled."DHS officials told NBC News that the domestic intelligence division of DHS was merely reorganized." But in an interview with the Southern Poverty Law Center, he make it clear that is not what has happened.

"When the right-wing report was leaked and people politicized it, my management got scared and thought DHS would be scaled back. It created an environment where my analysts and I couldn't get our work done. DHS stopped all of our work and instituted restrictive policies. Eventually, they ended up gutting my unit. All of this happened within six to nine months after the furor over the report..."

When asked about the potential effect on the citizen's safety, Mr. Johnson says that  "What worries me is the fact that our country is [also] under attack from within, from our own radical citizenry. There have been a lot of small-scale attacks lately,.." "These incidents are starting to add up. Yet our legislators, politicians and national leaders don't appear too concerned about this. So, my greatest fear is that domestic extremists in this country will somehow become emboldened to the point of carrying out a mass-casualty attack, because they perceive that no one is being vigilant about the threat from within. That is what keeps me up at night."

 

UN Libya Panel & International Criminal Court Grapple With Difficult Issues

In late April the United Nations authorized an  inquiry into the violence and human rights abuses in Libya since forces supporting Muammar Al-Qathafi began a crackdown against protesters earlier this year. 

The panel is lead by Professor Cherif Bassiouni, Professor emeritus at DePaul’s College of Law, and an Egyptian jurist and war crimes expert who has previously served as a UN rapporteur;  Asma Khader, a Jordanian-Palestinian lawyer who serves on the executive committee of the International Commission of Jurists; and Canada’s Philippe Kirsch, who was the first president of the International Criminal Court.

While mostly motivated  by the reported actions of the Gadhafi forces, the investigation includes "all human rights violations — and it applies to anyone and any party. “ , according to Bassiouni. This could also include ”… actions of the NATO-led mission that has been enforcing a U.N.-sanctioned no-fly zone over Libya and targeting military forces on the ground.”

The panel's report is expected to be completed by June 17. But  Bassiouni said the panel already plans to ask for more time to investigate. "This is a very short period of time to be able to do the work," Bassiouni said. "We will do the best we can, but it is our intention to recommend an extension."

Within the last few  weeks, events seem to be out-pacing the work of the panel. “On 4 May 2011, (ICC) Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo informed the United Nations Security Council that in a few weeks he will request the judges of the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants against three individuals for crimes against humanity committed in Libya since 15 February 2011.”

According to the evidence collected so far, (ICC) Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo  states  that “Crimes against humanity have been and continue to be committed in Libya, attacking unarmed civilians including killings and persecutions in many cities across Libya”

Both the investigatory panel and the ICC have their own mandate. According to Professor Bassiouni, "We don't work for the ICC, they don't work for us. We have a mandate, they have a mandate. We have, however, decided that we are going to have a collaborative relationship,"

It will be interesting to see how the arrest warrants from the IIC might affect the continuing work of the panel. Some might argue that once Gadhafi is subject to arrest warrants, he will be  bound to dig in his heels. That may be the short term impact. However,  the long term interests of the Lybian people as a whole, may best be served “..when those subject to arrest warrants are permanently removed from their lives.” The arrests warrants preclude the option of a deal  being made that maintains war criminals in position of power.

Also to be addressed by the panel, are issues of possible abuses by the NATO forces, as Professor Bassiuoni’s earlier comment left that possibility open. The political positions of UN member states like Russia & China, will not let this aspect of the investigation be forgotten.

“Russia and China accuse the coalition of going beyond the UN mandate, particularly with strikes such as a raid on Saturday in which one of Gaddafi's sons and three of his grandchildren were killed.” Vitaly Churkin, Russia's UN envoy told the security council, “"Unfortunately it must be noted that actions by NATO-led coalition forces also lead to civilian casualties. This took place in particular during recent bombings of Tripoli,"

The Vatican has also criticized the continuing NATO military actions, “Giovanni Martinelli, the Vatican's delegate in Tripoli, called for a halt to NATO air strikes in Libya and for the West to negotiate with Gaddafi's government.”