"I can live with the Patriot Act as long as those laws are not made permanent..
They are only justified in the face of an imminent threat, and once that threat is ended, the Patriot Act must sunset..."
WTC I to WTC II spanned eight years (1993 - 2001).
Munich Olympics to London Busses spanned 33 years (1972 - 2005).
It all depends on the meaning of "imminent threat." Many of us have come to the opinion that islam is an "imminent threat."
Concerning the Patriot Act--there have not been any significant abuses.
That sort of depends on what you or I consider "significant".. and abuse is still abuse, whether you consider it significant or not..