Do the terrorists hate the same freedom the patriot act took away?
817585
All religious fundamentalist hate freedom including the ones in this country.
183379
The Patriot Act, giving up rights for freedom, afghanistan, the iraq war, iraqi people are free and in temporary chaos, homeland security dept made, you can probably think of others. 9/11 sent a shockwave throughout the world which will forever change it.
513380
The price of FREEDOM isn't FREE. We can fight them over there or here at home. And don't think for a minute it won't happen. We'll be living like the people in Israel, getting killed at the grocery stores and on the buses etc. If you think that those terrorist are done with us your completely wrong. they hate us and would cut your head off in a minute. They hate our way of life and they hate us!\n   We have been attacked several times before 911. thank GOD we have a President who knows the score and Thank GOD for our military!
712815
Maybe they are more afraid of the Republicans than the terrorists.  Republicans hinder their agenda to become a society in which there is freedom of religion unless your a \nchristian.  I believe the terrorists feel just about the same way.
188134
I'm with you all the way on this one.  As Benjamin Franklin said, those who would surrender a portion of their liberty to gain a bit of security deserve neither.\n\nIn signing the extension of the PATRIOT Act, Bush also signed an executive addendum saying that he did not accept the provisions of the PATRIOT Act that require him (the Executive) to report to Congress on enforcement of the Act.  This is fundamentally dictatorial - and their are Bush apologists in legion who think this is somehow "leadership".\n\nWhy do so few American people even know the meaning of the United States and of being an American?
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.
631754
If we allow the government to alter the constitution to protect us from the terrorist then the terrorist have one, they have accomplished what they have set out to do and that is to alter our live to live in terror that it might happen again. So I do not think the government has a right to take away my right to privacy in the name of fighting terror.
48294
The Voting Rights Act and the Patriot Act
1018844
Nope!!!\n\n"And what the hell is terrorism, anyway? It's not a thing; it's not a place; it's not a person. It is a political and military strategy, that's all. Having a 'War On Terrorism' is as ridiculous as having a 'War on Flanking Maneuvers'. You'll end terrorism when there's no longer anything for anybody to get pissed off about."\n\n"As for now, maybe if we looked at why people are pissed at us, we'd begin to understand. Hell, it doesn't matter whether they're right or wrong; it's what they perceive that motivates them. What you have to address is why they perceive things as they do. Only then will you start to get a clue. And spare me the bullshit about them hating us because of our freedom. We haven't been truly free in a long time. And now we're letting all this demagoguery convince us to give up what little liberty we have left. Big Brother Lives!"\n\n"Hack" Col, US Army
370171
Of course.\n I think it is a terrible idea to trade off civil rights for an ILLUSION of security... no one in this country is even a tiny bit safer than we were before the so called Patriot Act, just more fearful.\n\nBesides that, if we surrender our freedom in an effort to thwart terrorists, they win without even trying.
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.
734397
You're not aware of what you've given up. Privacy rights,  habeus corpus, right to an attorney, right to see all the evidence against you, the list goes on. Just because you don't think you'll be personally affected, does not mean Americans haven't lost these rights in some circumstances. Ever heard of a trend? There's a trend toward taking away people's rights in more and more circumstances. \n\nAnd have you given up these freedoms for any reason? There are more terrorists due to Bush foreign policy than there were before 9-11
592845
... I agree... we're Americans and have a long history of not letting fear take what we hold most dear... our Freedoms... yet Bush is totally taking the opposite approach... everything is through fear... all actions are excused by "do you want another attack"... that's not a justification... \n\nI would rather be attacked again than loose what America stands for... we can stand another attack, we can't stand a loss of our freedom...\n\nAnd the other thing is... he talks about terror attacks, yet the man that was behind the first one is, odds are, in Pakistan and we're not doing anything about it..
238349
Ordinary, law abiding citizens have nothing to worry about with the Patriot Act... for example, if you don't make phone calls to Afghanistan to discuss ways to kill Americans from a US phone, you have nothing to worry about!  Who are the people complaining about this... are they criminals?  I don't understand the fear of those who say this is an attack on civil liberties... the opposite is true.  The ACLU defends terrorists in Guantanamo in the interest of civil liberties... so they can attack us again -and if they get their way, maybe we will all live under Sharia law in the US... with no civil liberties... don't people get it?  Freedom isn't free... it has to be guarded.  The Patriot Act GUARDS the freedom of regular, law-abiding citizens... if that scares some, I question what they are doing that they would worry that the government would actually stumble upon something dealing with them while tracking terrorist movements and conversations!!!!  I for one am not concerned as I am more interested in my children's future than that of the terrorists or criminals.\n\nLet me just ask one question of those who hate the Act... Have you in the last five years since it was passed, had your personal liberties directly threatened or negated by this Act?  Or is it just a fad to disagree?
440655
Hey Sonnyblu I believe the original poster asked that proselytizing be kept out of this thread. Thanks :)\n\nPatriotism and Terrorism- the exact same thing from different perspectives\n\nLook at the American Revolution. To the colonies they were patriots. To England they were terrorists.\n\nEven today, from their (Muslim extremists) perspective they are patriots. From our perspective they are terrorists. I am not saying either side is right in their judgment, but thus is the nature of Patriotism/Terrorism. \n\nWords describing the same action yet holding entirely different meanings.
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.
946500
It depends on how free you think people should be.   In spite of the rancor of the liberals about the Patriot Act and the MCA, our freedoms have not been affected, one iota.\n\nTry practicing Catholicism or Atheism in Iran.\n\nTry asking a question like this in Iran.