Where has your personal civil rights been effected by the Patriot Act?
371487
Since I started avoiding terroristic activities the Patriot Act has not effected my life at all.
256609
Sorry, but Althea's answer is nonsense.  The government had not been running around checking all our library records.   For pity's sake, even if they WANTED to, they haven't a fraction of the resources it would take to do somtehing on such a scale!\n\n The Patriot Act does not even make any special mention of libraries (despite all the ridiculous hype).   It simply allows that, IF there's good reason to suspect you're up to something, the government can go after records from various sources (not listed, but video stores & libraries would be included, with all sorts of other places).   These sorts of provisions have been in place and used for decades to go after domestic criminals (e.g., "the mob").  The Patriot Act just allows investigators to do the same when they are trying to track down terrorists.    \n\nAnd please remember, they can't just do it willy nilly; they have to be able to show a judge that there is "probable cause".\n\nSo. . . I believe ANSWERS already IS covered, as it should be.  It just isn't mentioned by name.  And of course, if you're not plotting some sort of attack, I don't see any reason for you to be concerned.\n\n(BTW, has anyone brought forward a SINGLE instance of someone's rights being trampled under this act?)
450094
i'm being discriminated against by this question.i'm retired.it's a good thing i don't know who you are or i'd sic the ACLU on you.
851001
Bill of Rights, First Amendment.
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.
848579
By the complacency of its' citizens, and the fear that the government created by utilizing the media to spread false information, Weapons of Mass Distruction for instance. Creating an atmosphere of fear allowed the government to slowly and stealthfully rob you of your freedoms. The patriot act was one step, the Military Commissions Act is another. We live in the greatest country in the world, but do not be diluded into thinking that you live in a democracy elected by the people (ask Al Gore), or that you are free Try speaking out against the Government,  or exercizing your right to bear arms like the Davidians, or try not paying your property taxes, and see how long it is before the Government evict you from "Your Property". They have the right under "Imminent Domain" to seize your property for any reasonat any time. Don't believe me? Do some research. There are many many cases of this happening. Finally, try not paying your federal taxes. A tax that , by the way, was never ratified by any state in the union, and see how long it is before your wages are garnished, or  your assets seized.......Like I said. It is the greatest country in the world, and I am proud to be a citizen,  but the government is corrupt. You just have to look at the greatest Democracy ever that lasted 1000 years, the Roman Empire to know that it was greed, and corruption that brought down that empire. Greed and Corruption will eventually bring down the American Empire as well, and I doubt that it will last anywhere close to 1000 years.
655777
Well, the civil war didn't end the attrocities being committed against blacks being treated as sub-humans.  I would hope that everyone would be educated about civil liberties which have been perverted by the left wing in this country.\n\nSamuel Adams said:\n\nAmong the rights of the colonists are these:\nfirst, to life; second, to liberty; third, to property; along with the right to support and defend them.\n\nCivil rights is one indicator of how civilized a nation is. Abortion is the most barbaric act against an innocent and helpless human being. In reality, and when compared to slavery, we are far more barbaric than 50 and 200 years ago.\n\nCivility and etiquette are not part of modern society. People of todays generation have perverted natural law and the meaning of civil liberties to mean selfishness. It is appauling and disgusting. When civil liberty is perverted to mean, "I can do whatever I want and have a right to privacy." we have totally ignored our civic duties. \n\nThis is a GOOD QUESTION! Civil rights go in a sequential order as Samuel Adams (father of the American revolution) expressed to the continental congress in 1772.  The recent Supreme Court decision is an example of how we are regressing in civil liberties. Quite often those who want to keep abortion legal would belittle what was written 200 years ago as if it has no relevance.  In effect, they want to play God!
696205
Because of this issue, your best recourse is to contact your congressman and Senators as they have better avenues to solve this problem.\n\nUnfortunately the Patriot Act allows this kind of abuse to foreign visitors. \n\nSorry, this all I can tell you.
606324
No.  That right is reserved for citizens and legal residents.\n\nThey do not have "civil rights."  They have "human rights."  This is an important distinction.  Also, to infer that the Constitution is bestowing rights on illegals is like assuming that illegals have the right to bear arms and vote.  "The people" in the Constitution very specifically means "the citizens" of the USA.\n\nWikipedia\nCivil Rights\nCivil rights are the protections and privileges of personal liberty given to all citizens by law. Civil rights are distinguished from "human rights" or "natural rights"—civil rights are rights that are bestowed by nations on those within their territorial boundaries, while natural or human rights are rights that many scholars claim ought to belong to all people.
154424
I think there is a balance but Bush has overstepped that in favior of taking away our right to privacy in the name of the war on terror. Terrorism does exist however I think that if we give up rights then the terroist have won. We need to stick to the things in our constitution that made our country free and great.
642466
You have been WOEFULLY wronged! Your civil liberties got violated in the most harsh way possible. \nThis is the worst thing to have happened since segregation.\nContact ACLU right away -- they will send out a team of commando-lawyers to handle your case and restore justice.
181106
see:\nhttp://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html
127116
This isnt a civil rights issue, but one of privacy.  His right to privacy was violated if the teachers told students things that they weren't at liberty to discuss.
1118201
First secret prisons, maybe for terrorest who are arrested outside the US,  there are no civil rights people who are not american citizens outside the US.  Only those rights of the Geneva Convenction, (human rights)\n\nWe are trying to judge military prisons or prisioners of war under the wrong idea of what they are, they do not, never did get consititional rights.\n\nEven in WWII, the US took away the constitutional rightrs of Japanise americans and put them in camps and they lost thier property in the US during this time.\n\nAnd no people are not spying on liberals, why they tell more than they know to start with.  The only spying is to track and trace telephone calls of posible terroest links ( and emails and regular mail)  \n\nMerely alot of issues taken out of context by the opposing public party that cares little about destroying our war effort if they can win an election.
7429
Seriously we don't. The Gov. been into our freedom long before the Patriot Act., to know our every move all they need is our SS# ( I remember when this was only used to get a job, now you better know it without looking at it or you're not who you say you are).  Congress knowing this and to (as if they were doing us a favor) look good denied the extention.
833412
There never was a such thing as privacy, Mack. The government has all kinds of information about you and I. As long as we have a social security number, the government can literally bring up a whole mountain of information on anybody in an instant. So, really the bill of rights protects civil liberties to an extent. You can say what you want as long as it is true, otherwise it's slander and you can be sued, and you can have the right to an attorney paid for by the courts, but you only get a public defender.
1151370
Yeah! Damn that wicked freedom of speech! If you ask me, we need far fewer personal freedoms and civil rights in this country!