Patriot act

[pvt. blackburn]

so what do you think of the patriot act

[The Real Bingo]

It's awesome. The Patriots are dominating the league. I mean, look at 'em - they have won 18 games in row.

[Mike]

No.

[Smidley]

Absolutely, no.

[Gomer]

ummmmmm

[originel]

no. It has good intentions, but the implementation is terrible.

[no1_vern]

All the patriot act did is put the fear into people, not a fear of anything specific just "fear".
The concept was to protect individuals from act of terrorism- and it was so horribly worded anything could be considered proof if intent to commit an act of terrorism. Including a nail file.

Which is BS.

It took so many freedoms away, that its a wonder that anyone has a chance to say anything bad about our nation now without being attacked.

Say the police had had a tip that you may intend to destroy something(I DO MEAN a tip-from anyone, say an ex.), they have the right to seize you, and anything you have access to, hold you incomunicado for however long they decide to hold you. You cant call anyone, no one will know what happened to you, for as long as they want. The government no longer has to show evidence that the subjects of search orders are an "agent of a foreign power," a requirement that previously protected Americans against abuse of this authority. Judicial oversight of these new powers is essentially non-existent. Surveillance orders can be based in part on a person's First Amendment activities-say if you read the bible(or koran) can be "used" as a reason to watch you. The FBI does not even have to show a reasonable suspicion that the records are related to criminal activity to arrest you and hold you.
The Patriot Act, however, unconstitutionally amends the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure to allow the government to conduct searches without notifying the subjects. Puts CIA back in business of spying on Americans.
Creates a new crime of "domestic terrorism." The Patriot Act transforms protesters into terrorists if they engage in conduct that "involves acts dangerous to human life" to "influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion." How long will it be before an ambitious or politically motivated prosecutor uses the statute to charge members of controversial activist groups like Operation Rescue or Greenpeace with terrorism? Under the Patriot Act, providing lodging or assistance to such "terrorists" exposes a person to surveillance or prosecution.

All in all its a nasty bit of work implemented by a panicked Congress to "show the citizens" that it was doing something about the "terrorist problem" but what they implemented didnt limit terrorism, all it did was restrict the rights of AMERICANS.

[John Prophet]

lets see....

they can come into your home or place of business anytime they want...no warrant....and then forbid you to even TELL anyone they were there

uhh, you do the math

[Baby_Eater]

let me think about it.... no

[Droppyale]

if it was reformed... maybe... as it is right now... I don't know... I lean towards no.