The final vote to renew the Patriot Act will be tomorrow.  What are your views?
139185
The nation is so polarzied that we can't debate we can only fight! I think that it should be called the Unpatriot Act. It gives the goverment to much power to snoop on people. There needs to be a way to protect America without impinging on others rights and freedoms.
929278
It is conservative in the sense that it prevents certain actions which some consider risky, and requires behaviors and conformity that many consider important for security.\n\nThe Patriot Act is a messy piece of legislation in some areas, but it doesn't actually reduce any civil liberties. It just reduces privacy in areas where people interact with businesses and other organizations. That's not friendly, but it's not unconstitutional.\n\nThere are plenty of laws passed in the past year or three that are unconstitutional, including the Military Commissions Act. Those are the threats to civil liberties, because those deliberately and systematically say the constitution can be ignored at will.\n\n{EDIT} ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ \n\nAnd for those who keep asking what civil liberties we've lost, here are the most recent. Denial of right to counsel. Denial of due process. Abrogation of the confrontation clause. Denial of the right against self-incrimination. Denial of the right to assemble. Denial of the right to petition for redress of grievances. Loss of habeas corpus. \n\nThose were MY rights that were taken. Just because I've never had a need to invoke them doesn't make them any less mine. And just because you haven't needed them yet doesn't make them any less yours.\n\nAs a society, we only have those rights we choose to defend. Only those rights we can defend. And if we do not defend them, we lose them. Once, and for all of us.
790420
Firstly, it is not yet safe to declare a victory in both Houses of Congress for the Democratic Party.\n\nSecondly, I do think that will be the reality tomorrow morning.\n\nThirdly, I feel that the best thing about this is that there is tangible proof of a mandate from a majority of Americans that the past few years have been mistake after mistake by the current political leadership.  While my own personally feelings about the matter would lead to making much stronger statements and all executive administrations make some mistakes, we have spent two many years with a leader that is increasingly disconnected from the population.\n\nFourthly, the change of power in political parties will likely give impetus to stronger accountability from the President.  We have just endured 6 years of having obstinate personal agendas being placed ahead of the needs of the population of this country.
1154815
War in the Middle East was only ONE of the pretexts. I've said it before, and I'll undoubtedly say it again: 9/11 mainly happened as a pretext to getting the Patriot Act passed. The Patriot Act was originally written up following the Oklahoma City bombings but was considered too reactionary. I mean, the Global Agenda has been calling for "Big Brother" type scenarios all over the West, not just the States. So, they needed something bigger to further their Agenda. Hence 9/11. It got people to say to the government, "Do something!!!!" so they pulled out the Patriot Act and formed the Department of Homeland Security in order to justify widespread wiretapping and surveillance of the American people. And it's not really "terrorists" HS is after, people. It is domestic dissenters, grassroots left wingers and the militias, all of whom are the REAL threat not only to the governement but to the military industrial complex which is really running the show. Under the Patriot Act, people like ourselves, who are on this site, answering THIS question, and thereby questioning the gov't's actions are committing a terrorist act. So, therefore, any of us can expect to have our phones and internet lines tapped. This, folks, is the post 9/11 world we live in. I know, some people are in total denial about it and simply write off people like myself as "conspiracy theory kooks" and "left wing nuts", but lemme tell ya, it's us kooks who are going to have the last laugh in the end, because we'll be laughing at all those poor fools who'll be saying, "Damn, I should have listened to the conspiracy theorists; they were right after all!"\nMyself, when the fit hits the shan and the police state really starts kicking in, well, I'll be long gone by then, headed for the hills somewhere and dissappear off the face of the earth. Because I sincerely believe that within the next five years, ten tops, the world we live in and take for granted will no longer exist. We'll all be living in a variation of Nazi Germany; kiss our civil rights and freedoms goodbye. \nThe irony is, unless incontovertible evidence is produced, the real truth behind 9/11 will never be officially exposed. It's worse than the JFK assassination and the UFO question put together, because if the truth ever did come out, well...I think America would turn into 1789 France overnight. I hope...
1138420
4th Amendment-"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."\n\nSome would say yes because of the Domestic Wiretapping issue
872660
The Patriot Act itself only intrudes on some areas of privacy. That's bad enough, but it doesn't, in and of itself, take away any constitutional rights.\n\nThe problem is that many in power (at least, as of Monday) felt that constitutional protections can and should be ignored, if they might possibly result in people being safer. However, that's unconstitutional, by definition. \n\nWe only have those rights we can defend. And only those freedoms we choose to defend. Once we have abandonded those rights and those freedoms, they are lost. Once, and for all of us.\n\n~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\n\nIn honor of Pastor Martin Niemöller:\n\nFirst they came for the 6th Amendment, but I hadn't been accused of a crime, so I didn't object to denial of counsel.\n\nThen they came for the 4th Amendment, but I wasn't talking to anyone overseas, so they wouldn't be monitoring me.\n\nThen they came for the rest of the 4th Amendment, but I only called my mother, so there was nothing suspicious in my phone records.\n\nThen they came for the 1st Amendment, but I never associated with criminals, so I didn't worry about being convicted purely based on what other people might do.\n\nThen they came for the 14th Amendment, but I never really understood the rules for Due Process (and wasn't allowed an attorney), so I didn't object.\n\nThen they came for the rest of the 1st Amendment, but I never told anyone about what the government was doing, so again I remained silent.\n\nThen they came for the 5th Amendment,  ......  and I no longer had the right to remain silent.
58711
I think it may have something to do with the patriot act.  Yeah after 9/11 ppl felt we needed to prevent it from happening again so then things changed like the airplane cabin, no lighters or fingernail files unwarented information taps on anyone at anytime where will it end.  Is it at all like when then started calling ppl communists see now its like we are all suspect in everything we do.\nI am deeply upset that we focus so much on the american ppl and so little on the borderland. I heard a bunch of Arizona citizens actually went to patrol the mexican border cause they probably felt it was'nt being secured.  Just heard they want Google to turn over records for a month last summer of searches done by every registered user.  Man I feel more nervous now knowing that everything I do can be scutinized.  Hey what can u do.
48294
The Voting Rights Act and the Patriot Act
719290
its time to vote for people that do take this seriously and want to up hold the laws.  I have a feeling that if nothing is done there will be alot of new faces in congress.
456803
WHOEVER SAID IT, SURE WASN'T A REPUBLICAN!! THAT'S FOR SURE.  \n\nWHOEVER SAID IT WOULD ROLL OVER IN THEIR GRAVE IF HE KNEW WE HAD THE PATRIOT ACT NOW.
155589
I am somewhat hopeful that america will wakeup. But we are on a slippery slope \n\nThe most direct way to authorize preventive law enforcement is to redefine liability broadly so that authorities can sweep up large numbers of people without having to prove that individuals have engaged in specific harmful conduct. In our history, this has been accomplished in two principal ways—by targeting people for what they say before they act and for their associations. \n\nFrom WWI to the japanese internments in WWII , mccarththyism, vietnam era fbi files on anyone who opposed the war, we have a history of allowing the government to restrict our civil liberties and interfere with protected free speech. Each time we recover to relaize the dangers , restrict the governments abilities anfd each time we forget and let history repeat itself. Perhaps if the midterm elections result in a republican loss of the House or Senate, we will be able this time to nip it in the bud. The longer that Bush & Co. remain in power, the more damage will be done.\n\nIn the immortal words of Ben Franklin - THOSE WILLING TO GIVE UP FREEDOMS FOR SECURITY WILL HAVE NEITHER.
983891
The problem with the Patriot Act is that while it does provide a clause allowing judicial oversight, Title IV Section 412 includes provisions for judicial review in detentions, and Title II deals with warrant requirements for electronic surveillance, it does not make this oversight mandatory.\n\nThis means that these provisions are allowed to go unenforced. You see, the Executive Branch is in charge of this enforcement. So what we are seeing now and basically have a wide-open window to is when the laws get in the way of what Bush wants to accomplish, he just chooses not to enforce them.\n\nAlso, the 4th, 5th and 6th Amendments are limitations on government action, and apply to anyone under US authority or control. Nowhere does it mention 'citizen'.\n\nAs far as warrantless wiretapping, 50 U.S.C. §1801 et al. Warrantless wiretapping is illegal under FISA if any US citizen or resident alien is a party to the conversation. Also 18 U.S.C. § 2511: Compliance with FISA "shall be the exclusive means by which electronic surveillance... may be conducted". The Patriot Act runs head to head into legalities here.
105458
The only people who claim the Patriot Act is anti-foreigners are those who haven't read the law.\nTo sum it up, the Patriot Acts does the following:\n1. Removes obstacles in investigating terrorism and improves intelligence gathering capabilities.\n2. Deals with Immigration and Travel into the United States allowing for tighter restriction.\n3. Gives more tools to fight the funding of terrorists.\n4. Helps us in securing our borders.\n5. Preservation of Immigration Benefits for Victims of Terrorism (How is that anti-foreigner???)\n\nThe link given below is a summary of the bill with links to the actual text direct from the online archives of the US government. There is no commentary or opinion, just the law itself.
442911
Myth: The Patriot Act simply updated the tools of law enforcement to match the technology used by the terrorists and criminals today.\nReality: The Patriot Act “updated” surveillance powers but failed to “update” the checks and balances needed to ensure those surveillance powers include proper judicial oversight. \n\nSection 206 of the Patriot Act allows the government to obtain “roving wiretaps” without empowering the court to make sure that the government ascertain that the conversations being intercepted actually involve a target of the investigation.  \n\n“Pen registers” and “trap and trace” devices are also allowed and track detailed information about Internet use, like specific web pages viewed or search terms entered into a search engine read more:http://action.aclu.org/reformthepatriotact/facts.html#two\nMyth: The Patriot Act is “mostly taking what we can do to track drug dealers and thugs and give those tools to people tracking spies and terrorists.”\nReality: Before the Patriot Act, the government could use the same tools, like wiretapping or using grand jury subpoenas, to investigate drug dealers and terrorists. The government simply had to be investigating a crime of terrorism.  \nMyth: The codification of delayed notice warrants in the Patriot Act “brought national uniformity to a court-approved law enforcement tool that had been in existence for decades.”\nReality: The Patriot Act’s “sneak and peek” provision is about lowering standards for sneak and peek warrants, not imposing uniformity. Section 213 of the Patriot Act allows notice of search warrants to be delayed for an indefinite “reasonable time.” \nMyth: The primary effect of the Patriot Act was to “bring down this ‘wall’ separating intelligence officers from law enforcement agents” in coordination and information sharing.\nReality: Information sharing between criminal and intelligence investigations occurred before Sept. 11, 2001 and the Patriot Act. The primary effect of the Patriot Act was to remove necessary checks and balances in foreign intelligence investigations\nMyth: The Patriot Act’s “new powers have allowed authorities to charge more than 400 people in terrorism investigations since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and convict more than half.”\nReality: The government attributes convictions it says are terrorism-related that have nothing to do with the Patriot Act. The “400 convictions” claim overstates actual number of convictions and omits a number of key facts related to these numbers. Only 39 of these individuals were convicted of crimes related to terrorism. The median sentence for these crimes was 11 months, which indicates the crime the government equated with terrorism was not serious\nMyth: The Patriot Act does not contain a provision that allows the government to obtain library records, and “[t]he reading habits of ordinary Americans are of no interest to those investigating terrorists or spies.”\nReality: Section215 of Patriot Act does cover library records. It authorizes the government to more easily obtain a court order requiring a person or business to turn over documents or things “sought for” an investigation to protect against international terrorism. Business records include library records.\n\nYour medical records, records and lists of individuals who belong to political organizations are also fair game for the government to seize\nMyth: “[The] Patriot Act is chock-full of oversight in a lot of ways that regular criminal procedure is not:  full of the involvement of federal judges…”\nReality: The statute authorizing the use of “national security letters” as amended by the Patriot Act 505(a) contains no judicial oversight. The statute allows the government to compel the production of financial records, credit reports, telephone, Internet, and other communications or transactional records. \nSection 215 requires the FBI to apply to a Foreign Intelligence Sur
142252
The Patriot Act did not create any new laws, only consolidated existing ones, so terrorism has nothing to do with it.  The government, with reasonable premises and a sometimes a court order, can pull IMs and phone logs for a number of reasons, just being that they believe you or her were involved in any crime they are investigating.
1160584
I too walk closer to the conservative line... and I do value our freedoms and rights... the liberals   carry it too far  though.... to such a point that they actually infringe on peoples rights such as in abolishing religion etc. as far as the patriot act goes... I think it makes every one nervous in some ways to  know big brother is watching... at the same time we do want to be protected  from  further acts of terrorism ...and some terrorist are home grown.... perhaps there just needs to be better checks and balances on what they are doing and how they are doing it................fiscally  Democrats  / liberals  most often are the ones  that   raise the taxes and   spend money   on    a multitude of  programs\n..though both parties need to be more conservative financially.....  I don't align myself with either party... some  republicans are liberal, some democrats are conservative..... I am independent...  either party requires dogmatic thinking to an extent... so I vote for the best candidate... who ever they are...
6743
Patriot Act \nThe USA Patriot Act was passed by Congress as a response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The Act allows federal officials greater authority in tracking and intercepting communications, both for purposes of law enforcement and foreign intelligence gathering. It gives the Secretary of the Treasury regulatory powers to combat corruption of US financial institutions for foreign money-laundering purposes; it more actively works to close our borders to foreign terrorists and to detain and remove those within our borders; it establishes new crimes, new penalties and new procedural techniques for use against domestic and international terrorists.\n\nThere has been protest over certain sections of the Patriot Act, even resulting in some civil liberties suits brought by the ACLU and other groups.