Posted on 02/07/2011 9:19:46 PM PST by RobertClark
Three sections of the Patriot Act — the so-called 'library provision' that allows a secret court to issue orders for anything deemed relevant to an investigation; the roving wiretap provision that allows the government to get a wiretap order that doesn't specify the person or place to be tapped; and the 'lone wolf' provision, which permits intelligence wiretapping of people not connected to a terrorist group — are scheduled to expire on February 28. It's February 7.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) recently suggested that Congress doesn't have enough time to consider reforms this year. That was the excuse for last year's Patriot Act reauthorization. Members of Congress had suggested that they would use 2010 to really examine the effects of the USA Patriot Act and return to it in early 2011 ready to make much-needed changes.
And where are we now? Well, Congress is betting that while they weren't thinking about the Patriot Act in the past year, you weren't either. Late in the day on Friday, we learned that the House will vote tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb. 8, on a bill to extend the expiring Patriot Act provisions until December 8, 2011. They want to sneak this reauthorization through, and they're hoping that you don't notice.
Well, once again, we're asking you to tell Congress that you are watching, that you don't buy their fear-mongering or their scare tactics, and that you want real Patriot Act reform. We've put a new action alert up urging Congress not to rubber stamp the Patriot Act once again, and we urge you to take action. For almost 10 years, the Patriot Act has given the government too much leeway to pry into our private lives.
As the Electronic Frontier Foundation and others have documented, the Patriot Act would not have prevented 9/11, and has led to numerous crimes by the FBI and other agencies.
Call Congress NOW and tell them to vote down renewing the Patriot Act. Word from D.C. is that the Patriot Act will be renewed unless there is strong public outcry today.
Remember, the Patriot Act was apparently written before 9/11, and the government's spying on Americans began before 9/11 (confirmed here and here. And see this) . These assault on the Constitution did not keep us safe.
Indeed - as I've previously noted - the "national security" apparatus has been hijacked to serve the needs of big business, and is not really protecting us.
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin
Looks like Obummer is ready to eff the EFF
btt
So how has the government stripped you of your privacy rights in any practical sense? Or are you delving in wild, hypothetical conjecture like Climate Change/Global Warming hooey? I’m serious. I’d like to understand how you’ve been deprived of your rights since the PATRIOT Act was enacted?
So how has the government stripped you of your privacy rights in any practical sense? Or are you delving in wild, hypothetical conjecture like Climate Change/Global Warming hooey? I’m serious. I’d like to understand how you’ve been deprived of your rights since the PATRIOT Act was enacted?
You must love Janet Napolitano as head of DHS. Or love getting gate raped.
I'm referring to rights and privacy in a practical sense. The Patriot Act does not narrowly define the types of "threats" the act can be applied to. Personally, my ability to conduct transactions in cash (as I choose to do since I live without debt) is impeded. Whether or not any of my communications have been monitored, I do not know. I have nothing to hide - the most common argument for the act.
What happens when you are perceived to be a domestic enemy because you question the manner in which legislation is created, or you speak out against "social justice", or you create forums where Conservative thought is openly discussed. Does that mean you are subject to the provisions of the Patriot Act as an perceived enemy of the government? Is it too much of a stretch to see that it could be applied to any perceived threat to a majority party? The slippery slope is the greatest threat.
Dang it.
Gotta make some calls tomorrow.
Time to dump this thing and go back to respecting Freedom.
Pray for America
I was a little concerned about the Privacy Act when Bush was in office, but I felt it somewhat acceptable, considering 9-11, and the fear of future attacks.
Now, with the boy king in charge of the tool, I think it WILL be abused.
(Not that he needs a legal loophole, but it’s a good excuse)
No doubt, a slippery slope, chipping away at the remnants of our rights to/of privacy.
I know the Government isn’t interested in my Grandmas secret cookie recipe, but you must admit, one must be mindful of what you say & do unless you want a couple of suits knocking on your door.
I said back in 2002 that the Patriot Act was a piss poor idea. At that time I was worried about someone like John Edwards with that power. Today, it’s a lot worse than Edwards.
Dump this crap now.
Neither. But thank you for reaching deep into your third-grade intellectualism to make your point, douchebag.
For specifics, Bank account surveillance, sneak and peak, judge shopping away from jurisdictional magistrates, increased forfeitures without convictions, and increased use of so called National Security Letters for issues that are not related to actual terrorist threats.
All of this is in the name of either the War on some drugs, or the politically correct war on terror.
It's time to destroy this bill, put freedom first, and not let the terrorists win. Frankly, I'm 10 times more threatened by the behavior of the government than I am from Islamic terrorists.
RINO bush2 did enough to destroy my civil liberties. strike this law from the books forever. its a bad law
Truth.
Unfortunately, there is not a snowball's chance in hell of it being repealed. Ever. Power accumulation is a one-way street.
n00bie has a problem here.
The truth about the Patriot Act. It has not made us safer and is absolute proof of how much of a Progressive Bush really is.
Welcome to FR.
How about under Obama?
Obama renewed and expanded the scope and reach of that law.
LOL!!
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