what is the effectiveness of the patriot act?
479385
there is none \nit is just a bill that allows government sponsored spying on decent american citizens, and should have never been allowed to pass
170557
The Patriot Act helps law enforcement officers find and arrest terrorists more easily. It also helps in more common crimes too.\n\nUnfortunately, its liberal use of bugging is considered a violation of privacy, since it makes bugging people easy for law enforcement. On the other hand, though, the government should have no need to bug you unless you need bugging. And besides, they don't have the manpower to bug everyone.\n\nThe government can spy on people anyway, or bug them, so it makes little difference. Now it's just easier, faster, and safer for cops. Privacy is nice, but I prefer to be alive and have a tiny bit less privacy.\n\nTo the person below me: it is not at all a false sense of security, because the Patriot Act's greatest impact is on law enforcement, not crime prevention. Putting NYPD officer at every large building and subway station is false security. But making it easier for FBI agents to collect evidence to convict criminals is not false at all.
847435
patriot act-  the NSA can pretty much record whatever they want.
1104750
Just in case you were too stupid to catch it, that article is referring to the Patriot Act. Also know as "The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001" < If you think that is bad... well, you shouldn't be starting any political arguments.
1007066
The Patriot Act.. even the title is divisive
824161
Sounds a bit socialist to me. \n\nOnce upon a time, there was a country called America, we fought wars on our own soil and we fought bravely. We were allowed to carry guns and protect ourselves and families. Now the government doesn't think we can protect ourselves or are brave enough to fight if nessasary. \n\nNo, just because you don't believe in the patriot act doesn't mean you are not a patriot. It means you feel you are brave enough to fight what comes along. They shouldn't be tapping US they should be tapping other countries!
718908
A never ending war to keep peoples attention off the corruption of their governement at home. Example, the war on terror. Its a war on an emotion! When is that going to end? Never. Thats the idea. Do you think the Patriot Act would ever have passed without 9-11 or Iraq? Just some stuff to think about.\n\n\npeace
271917
The so-called "Patriot Act" is anything BUT patriotic. It is in direct voilation to our civil rights. This is a travesty since so many people who have come before, fought and died to ensure our civil liberties. We as Americans need to stress to our Congressmen and our Senetors that we will NOT stand for a government that tries to over-ride our civil rights and our very freedom!
345794
Sure, pay attention to the opinions of the Supreme and Federal Courts.  Also, actually read the bills going through the legislature.  At this point, a good place to start is with the Patriot Act.  See http://www.epic.org/privacy/terrorism/hr3162.html
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...
421564
No, the Department of Homeland Security was formed by the Homeland Security Act of 2002, which is seperate from the Patriot Act.
801423
there is no sure way of knowing, but, I am sure of one thing , there would have been more planes blown up and only god knows what else, or how many  people would have died,\nI just hope this patriot act will not mean we have lost the liberties \nthat we have lost that are supposedly temporarily
160779
The American Civil Liberties Union Wednesday, July 30, 2003, filed the first lawsuit against the Patriot Act, the anti-terrorism law passed after the attacks of September 11, 2001. \n\nThe lawsuit claims one section of the law authorizing searches of records, including those of businesses, libraries and bookstores, is unconstitutional. \n\n"This lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act, which vastly expands the power of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to obtain records and other 'tangible things' of people not suspected of criminal activity," the lawsuit states. \n\nThe ACLU filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Michigan on behalf of six mostly Arab and Muslim-American groups. \n\nThe groups claim the provisions of the law allowing the searches violates the Constitution's First, Fourth and Fifth amendments. \n\nThey include the Muslim Community Association of Ann Arbor, Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services and the Islamic Center of Portland, Masjed As-Saber.
512424
I don't think there's any doubt that our calls are being tracked.  It shocks me that people don't seem to care.  The logic seems to be, "well, I don't do anything wrong and I'm not a terrorist and I don't want to be blown up by terrorists and I don't have anything to say anyway, so let 'em listen."  \nWhat I don't think people realize is how easy it is to take selective records and conversations and make it appear that a person is guilty of any accusation thrown at them. None of the post-9/11 legislation includes anything like a well-sculpted definition of what behaviors, actions, or beliefs constitute a "terrorist." In the wrong hands, it could be used much as the "witch" accusation was used three hundred years ago.  And listen, kiddies, thanks to the Patriot Act, if the government decides to label you a terrorist, they can send you to an undisclosed location without legal counsel for an indefinite period of time.  THAT's why you should be concerned. (Remember Bush fans--he's only going to be in office for a couple more years, but these laws don't leave with him.  Even if you trust Bush--and lord knows why you would--are you sure that you can trust the next guy? (Or gal? Could be that Hillary Clinton will end up with these massive dictatorial powers next.)  By casting such a big net in its search for terrorists, the government is effectively assuming that we're all guilty--it's a lazy man's game and there's no proof that it will be any more effective than good intelligence work.
438357
there is no doubt we have lost some so-called civil liberties. no bush supporter will even endulge the question, but the non-answers will not help shed light on anything. what has to be looked at is the nsa wiretapping as it relates to FISA, the several cases of reclassification of documents, and the changes brought about by the patriot act. \n\n9-11 changed everything, and obviously changes such as healing the rift between the cia and fbi needed to be addressed, as well as investigating ways to track terrorist cells within the US. but rash changes to any existing laws are not the rational approach, and it only makes sense that a heated discussion of the pros and cons of any proposed new laws be welcomed.  the scary thing here is that such discussions are not AT ALL welcomed by the administration nor by its supporters. this does two things: a) it hinders the effort to create effective legislation, and b) it reveals the apparent ulterior motives of this administration. both are quite alarming.
112745
It is a law that allows the Feds to spy on Americans without a reason. They say it is to fight terrorism...but who believes that without any proof. Check this out...
328382
A matter of weeks, maybe days. If Bush chooses to ignore the protections in the PATRIOT Act - which he has signed an affidavit saying he has the right to do - then there will be no protections, given how cowed everyone has been about taking him on regarding the NSA wiretaps.