Hey Libs - Exactly how many people do you know that have been directly affected by the Patriot Act.?
491938
Stupid Liberals, I hate them so much. Hey Libs, do me a favor, visit http://www.hannity.com, and also give his show a listen or watch sometime, and see if your not convinced, that your old way of thinking makes absolutely no sense. Go Bush!\n\nHaha, I love reading the answers to this question. Why are liberals so mad all the time? Look, I would much rather have my phone lines tapped, than see 2,000+ people die a fiery death, on US soil any day. In order to preserve freedoms, we must concede some lesser freedoms. It's a shame that people so quickly forget 9/11. It bothers me that people are so against the war, even though we are taking the fight to the terrorists, there haven't been any further attacks on US soil, we are establishing a democracy where others can share in the freedoms we have, where so few are dying for such a great cause (no one is not to many. I would gladly give my life for 100 others to live their life free of an oppressive dictators rule.) and when a dictator that has killed 100,000's of people.
797017
yes. all elected officials have a duty to uphold the constitution over anti-democratic laws. the Patriot Acts are profoundly un-American in part. Hopefully, the manipulation of fear to pass such crude restricitions passed with the election.
819560
I asked a fellow attorney today if the ACLU would be defending that father of 5 out in CO who got ratted out on by the drug-dealing prostitute.  \n\nInterestingly, he dissed the ACLU (a first), so I think the DNC is distancing themselves...
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...
976731
The responses to this question amaze me! Why does everyone act like The patriot act really changed anything as far as this issue goes? Did not FDR  use surveillance on German and Japanese Americans during WW II? Did not Kennedy and Johnson use the FBI to run surveillance on Martin Luther King and others in the 60's? Did not Nixon authorize  Surveillance of John Lennon and other anti war protesters. Did not the Clinton administration collect dossiers made by private investigators on political enemies?. I am not supporting all these actions some were wrong some were right some were questionable. This blustering over the patriot act is 85% politically motivated is my point. Yes there are some concerns but the One of the governments chief responsibilities is protecting it's people and defending it's borders. In Every war and instance of Civil strife the government has used domestic intelligence to gather information. The major difference today in we live in the age of 24 hr. news and the Internet and much more information is publicly available than ever before. To argue because it is the NSA instead of the FBI doing the spying is arguing semantics spying is spying and sometimes it's justified. At least in this case all but the most hard core bush opponents should agree that the threat is genuine and the intent is to protect the citizenry not politically motivated like the action of LBJ, Nixon etc...
532009
It is just a small part of a big problem. Since 9-11 the govt has been taking more and more of our freedoms from us,(the American People). We have the patriot act, warrentless spying on the American people, no more habeas corpus, it is called FACISM. Very scary.
1012153
It really sucks, doesn't it!?!   It infuriates me that these people are able to sneak into our country in the first place. I have seen the videos showing the coyote layup sites (where they meet up with their smugglers).  What a huge mess.  It is a real shame!\n\nI have joined the Minuteman project (National as well as my state chapter). They are at least trying to make a dent in it.  Check out the videos and other information at their website.\n\nI love the new motto "National Citizen Neighborhood Crime Watch - Securing America's Border"
448473
I love this guy! The conservatives have been a little tricky on these pages the last few days man. For some reason they don't like people illustrating the truth to other Americans. So since Bush's, Brian Doyle the (Chester Molester) was implementing the Patriot Act on his 14 year old girl suspect, inside of the United States of America. I think that Nixon taking his punishment like a man, makes him look like ST. Michael.
1007462
here is another link, its also part of the congressional record, it happened yesterday and they also voted down another amendment which would have refused to fund anything that intentionally ignored the law (FISA, specifically). this is the sad state of the repub congress (and how much "liberal media" coverage has either vote gotten? NADA!\nthe link at the top includes a screenshot of the roll call with the vote results. indisputable!
221418
Not at all.\n\nThere are millions of people screaming, "Unfair! You are violating my rights!" Yet, how many people can actually say the have been a subject of the so-called "domesticy spying" program? How many people have actually had their phones tapped and conversations recorded?\n\nFor that matter, how many people have been the subject of a Patriot Act investigation? How many have had their library records looked at? How many have had their information spread across every intelligence agency in the nation?\n\nMy point is this: The only people who are being targeted are being targeted for a REASON. The government does not just indiscriminately say, "Let's listen in on John Q. Public's conversation for sh!ts and giggles today." Uncle Sam does not just pick phone numbers at random to listen to. There is a REASON they investigate who they do. And I, for one, WANT them investigated. If they are doing no wrong, the investigation will clear them. But if they ARE doing wrong, I sure as hell hope we are doing EVERYTHING POSSIBLE to stop them. The next attack could cost hundreds of thousands of American lives.\n\n"When NSA goes after the content of a communication under this authorization from the president, the NSA has already established its reasons for being interested in that specific communication. I've said in other places this isn't a drift net over Lackawanna or Freemont or Dearborn, grabbing all communications and then sifting them out."\n\n-- Gen. Michael Hayden (Deputy Director of National Intelligence)\n\nBottom line: If your phone hasn't been tapped, your rights have not been violated. If you are not engaging in any illegal activity, chances are 99.999% that you phone hasn't been tapped.
1107839
I wish more here would see this.  Thank you.\nI would join this group because I fear the day is coming when it will take every true patriot to defend this land and our constitution.
949
Many aspects of the Patriot Act are uncontested; in fact, Nadine Strossen of the ACLU has stated that she agrees with over 90% of the provisions of the Patriot Act.  It's only a few provisions that are hotly contested\n\nIt largely tries to unify communication among several departments and provide easier access for law enforcement officers.  Online information was difficult to obtain before 9/11; access to judges was slower and required more paperwork; and more hoops were required before action could be taken.\n\nThe Patriot Act doesn't remove the safeguards, but streamlines and simplifies them.  For the most part, the same sorts of safeguards are in place, just with different requirements that are less burdensome on government.\n\nMany provisions are loudly decried in public, but few people ever discuss specific provisions of the Patriot Act they disapprove of.  Most of it seems to be mass hysteria without any specific citation of violations.  When the biggest complaint is that someone may look at your library record, it doesn't seem to be THAT violative of privacy.\n\nI've included links to the Department of Justice's defense of the Act, as well as the ACLU's criticism.  I hope that balances the views.
718227
Look at the poll numbers...Not everyone does...The numbers decline each and every day...Look at how many liberties have been taken away from us all in the name of fighting terrorism...People buy anything hook, line and sinker, if it is packaged right...
510534
I took a moment of silence for these brave men and women. I hope every legal American will take a minute this weekend and remember those who gave their life for the past 200-plus years so we can maintain our country's freedom. \n\nNow, honey, you have got to get over this "sale" issue. It is becoming an obsession with you.
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
1050645
It's not a matter of not knowing, it's not being interested. I, personally, tracked down the person who stole my identity to obtain all kinds of consumer goods and even surgery using my information and nobody pursued it at all. Since then, I've met at least ten people whose identities have been stolen by illegal immigrants or people with ties to terrorists and they all had the same experience with the police not even caring to make a report or follow through. Our information is being stolen with a blind-eye approval from the government.
149770
The Patriot Act permits law enforcement to use special techniques, now currently being used to fight drug lords and mobsters, to fight terrorists.  It is a no-brainer since terrorism is a much larger problem.  Drug lords do not bring down World Trade Center buildings (where about 40,000 people were employed).  The use of the Patriot Act is under tight control and open to scrutiny by leaders of both parties.  You just know that in today's political atmosphere there would be a huge scandal for even minor abuses of the system.  The Patriot Act was made legal by Congress while NYC was still smoldering.  Hopefully it will help prevent another crater.  Do you really want to take a chance?