http://www.ccr-ny.org/v2/reports/doc...ATRIOT_ACT.pdf

Read all about it.

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lambaste me not

If you have nothing to hide, why are you afraid of the supposedly "invasive" powers granted to the government through the Patriot Act? You know, the ACLU doesn't have a monopoly on decency--most Americans are good people who really care about civil liberties. However, most Americans realize that in these dangerous times, the government might need to tap a phone to see who a suspected terrorist is talking to. As Bernard Goldberg says in his book 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America, "we'll wonder who's looking over our shoulder at the library when things calm down."[/i]

nothing to hide or not, isnt not the government's right to be able to put every american under the magnifying glass. what dangerous time do you happen to speak of? last i heard there wasn't a terrorist attack on american soil in years, the only reasoning to reinstate the patriot act is to evesdrop on the common american and chip away at our liberties

i'm a card carrying member of the aclu, and i was against the addition of the patriot act the first time around, and now again

Where do people get this idea that because 9/11 happened, we're in a more dangerous time than ever. Terrorists are always attacking or plotting. They usually get caught. There is always a chance for failure in intelligence. While it may be a good idea to refine and update the methods of intelligence, it has more to do with data analysis than data retrieval. If there's one thing we learned from the 9/11 commission, it's that we had the info but couldn't separate the real info from the crap. Gathering more useless information will not help. And allowing government to intrude on the public merely undermines our government.
We're not in any more danger than we were before 9/11. We're not in any less danger because of the Patriot Act.

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"Man lives in the sunlit world of that which he believes to be reality. But unseen by most is an underworld, a place that is just as real... but not as brightly lit... A DARK SIDE!"
-opening from Tales From the Darkside

Okay, I have to set the record straight: the government is NOT WATCHING YOU. The only people who have their phones tapped are suspected terrorists on the US Watch List. Are you so arrogant to believe that the National Security Agency is going to waste its time, resources, and manpower to listen to you talking to your Aunt Sally about grocery shopping? What are you so afraid of? By the way: you are correct, entsetzen, there hasn't been a terrorist attack in the United States in several years. I wonder why that i? Hmmm...

As for your last comment, Worm, I answered it above. How many successful attacks were there prior to 9/11?
The point isn't that anyone feels that they are being watched. It's the precedent placed by the law and its potential misuse under the wrong circumstances. You know the slippery slope that everyone uses when it suits them but fails to apply to other situations.
Do you actually believe that the Patriot Act is somehow responsible for the lack of recent successful terrorist attacks? I guess it's doing it's job then, creating an illusion of safety at the potential future cost of liberty.

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"Man lives in the sunlit world of that which he believes to be reality. But unseen by most is an underworld, a place that is just as real... but not as brightly lit... A DARK SIDE!"
-opening from Tales From the Darkside

I can see your point, Java. I don't want to live in a policed state, having Big Brother pick out my tie, any more than you do. However, I fail to see another solution to this problem. So far, opponents of the Patriot Act have failed to put forth another plan that would be able to keep tabs on--let me reiterate this one last time--suspected terrorists as effectively as the Act. And as to the issue of the Patriot Act having prevented further terrorist attacks on US soil, we have no idea of knowing how many were stopped or not, since that information is classified, but look at President Bush's speech concerning the foiled plot to destroy the US Bank Tower--formerly known as the Liberty Tower--in Los Angeles, and you can see that the United States is making progress in its hunt for terrorists here and abroad. At least ten al-Qaeda attacks have been diverted thanks, in part, to the Patriot Act. So, until I am presented with a better solution, I stand behind it.

Entzten or however you spell it... yeah, all the government wants to do is take away your liberties and forget about terrorism or protecting people, or forget that there are still warnings, especially from the 9/11 Commission that there WILL be other attacks.. let's just forget about all that just so you have something to (*)(*)(*)(*)(*) about! Seriously! I personally would rather be protected from terrorists, or psychopaths and the gov't can listen to my conversations with my mom all they want! Really, they are quite entertaining, everyone should try it! The key to the whole patriot act is that people who are suspected terrorists will be listened to. If they happen to listen to some guy talking about dealing drugs and they want to bust him or something, guess what, it's not covered in the patriot act. Therefore, a warrant would have to be issued, and one won't be issued under those pretenses.
Is your right to privacy really all that important? I mean, seriously. Don't get me wrong, I am all for liberties, it's what makes America, but I weigh the options. I have a right to be safe in my own home, and to be safe when I travel to visit my family. Innocent children have the right to be fly to Disneyworld without the fear of being hijacked. People seem to forget that terrorism is not a new issue, but times have changed, and as Americans we need to recognize the true threat. I think you need to sacrifice a little bit of a private phone call for the sake of this country remaining what it is. Ok, so if you want to quote the Constitution and we have a right to privacy... well, uh, if you are dead, what good is that right? As Americans, we tend to think of ourselves before we think of our country, or what gifts we have in life. Think of what people in other countries don't have the freedoms that you do have. Some people don't have a right to get up and go to work in the morning, or vote, or spend money the way they want to. Think of what really matters. If all you want to do is complain about some stupid phone tapping just for the sake of complaining, then do it. But just keep in mind that there are people who are dying for the cause of keeping America safe from terrorists, and people who want to see America fall. And believe me, if a little phone tapping can help them do their job better, then so be it! It's selfish people who only care about themselves that argue such pointless and ridiculous things.

Terrorism is real and Terrorism is a threat. Terrorism is nothing new either. The so-called Terrorism that the US has declared war on is the same stuff that has been happening sporadically throughout the world since the early 70's.
Yes we need to fight terrorists and treat them like the criminals that they are.
The thing that annoys me to no end is the way that this particular President has decided to handle it. We have gone to outrageous lenghts that have impinged on our rights as American citizens in ways that you can't imagine until you actually have it foisted upon you.
Flying domestially is a nightmare. When you cast your vote this November, don't be suprised if you have to present at least one from of picture ID....it's already happened here in Ohio. My brother-in-law tried to send his long-distance girl-friend some of her favorite perfume in the mail yesterday and was told he couldn't do it because the perfume contained alcohol and it could be used to make a bomb! That's just a short list, I could give more examples of how our rights have been infringed.
I'm all for doing a lot more targeted profiling when it comes to our security rather than trampling on everyone's rights as citizens.
One of our Founding Fathers said. "Those who are willing to sacrafice thier freedoms for security deserve neither". That isn't the exact quote, but I'm sure the meaning of it is clear. Hopefully, one of you more educated persons will be able to clarify who said it.