[45Auto]

The poster does not necessarily endorse nor oppose any or all of the views of the author; However, this article does pose some food for thought. And while I do think that Pres. Bush and AG Ashcroft are honorable men, if the sunset clause in this law is over-ridden, and it becomes a permanent piece of legality, than what might happen at some future date when some other less than honorable Pres.,like that recently deposed vermin, Bill The Rat, gets elected? If Al Gore had been elected, how many Freepers would still think the Patriot Act was a good idea?

[caisson71]

If ALGORE had been elected, he'd have Osama to Washington for a state visit to apologize for our "past sins" and talk about the financial aide package for the Taliban. Gore lost, Bush won. I'll stick with Bush.

[verity]

How about if the military runs some tanks up and down the main streets of America's cities and towns?

Based upon the potholes in some cities, the MBT's have already been there :-)

[DallasMike]

If Al Gore had been elected, how many Freepers would still think the Patriot Act was a good idea?

I prefer to think of the Patriot Act as a tool whose capacity for good or evil depends upon the wielder. As an analogy, I think that a gun in the hand of Donald Rumsfeld is a good idea, while the same gun in the hand of Charles Manson would be a bad idea.

[Cagey]

If Al Gore had been elected, how many Freepers would still think the Patriot Act was a good idea?

If Al Gore had been elected we would have fired a few cruise missles and that would have been the end of it.

[Jim Robinson]

Well, I certainly hope the author survives from her hyperbolic bout of hyperventilation.

[Texasforever]

Two things, the Patriot act should have been an executive order so Bush could cancel it at the end of his term. There are many things in the PA that are required for this war but there are too many things that can be used later and now it will take a congressional repeal to get rid of it. Having said that Bush did issue an EO for the military tribunals and he is catching heat for that also. It seems to me he can't win either way.

[Theresa]

"If someone will just stop and think, our "war on evil" is really a war against the rights of individuals to be individualistic..."

Oh piffle. This author is exaggerating.

[My dog Sam]

This is a very timely article which explains very clearly the concerns I have had with the recent actions of the Government and the almost criminal culpability of those in Congress passing patently unconstitutional laws in a moment of unreasoning blind panic on their part.

Giving up freedoms to gain security insures that neither will ever occur again.

When this mess is over we will never see those freedoms regained.

[OldFriend]

Dorothy is looking for enemies in all the wrong places. Guess she was asleep on the eleventh.

[Jorge]

But do we feel safe yet?

If the terrorists networks are afraid and on the run...I am very happy. And I'm glad we've got Bush, Ashcroft and the rest of these guys in charge.

Meanwhile we have plenty of lawyers with plenty of time to challenge any abuses of power, and questions of constitutionality.
I'm not the least bit worried about that.

[Fred25]

Tanks

You welcome.

[MarkWar]

>ARE WE SAFE ENOUGH YET? HOW ABOUT TANKS IN THE STREETS?

It would just be for Tanks-giving...

Mark W.

[RightOnline]

"Somehow neither the Islamics, most Christians, and most average Americans, just haven't quite gotten the message that this conflict is the war of globalism vs. the sovereign state, the globalist agenda to silence dissidents, not just by conventional warfare but by strategic moves that alter the freedom of anyone to "duke it out" like people used to."

Spoken like some full-bellied spoiled brat who has never experienced war.

Total, complete, unadulterated bulls**t.

[exnavy]

If Gore were Pres. you would have already "bend over and kiss your... ...goodby" er, we all would have gone up in nukes.

[jwalsh07]

Are we comfortable that our president will determine, at his sole discretion, who will and who will not be hauled off to a military tribunal? Oh yes, I am aware that this applies only to aliens, non-US citizens, but once in the tribunal without access to a lawyer ... without anyone even knowing you're gone ... to whom does a citizen detainee complain?

The bold is a lie. When the opening paragraph is a lie, whats the use?

[RightWhale]

this conflict is the war of globalism vs. the sovereign state

It certainly is not. It is war, though.

[x]

How about Tanks in the Streets?

SUV's are soooo 90's.

Anyway, don't some of these provisions have a time limit? It might not be a bad idea to limit all new provisions to a given timespan. That's not to say that the government will let them lapse and not try to renew them. But at least it gives you a chance to fight back another day, when things may have cooled down.

[PoorMuttly]

I feel safer now that my government is taking some kind of action, instead of what that irresponsible hillbilly did about these obvious threats before, I feel safer because we are talking about it, and what's going on, and what to do about it...and as for tanks, I like tanks, as long as they're OURS !

(no offense to our rural/mountain people in ANY way!)

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

What exactly would the tanks do? Who would they shoot at?

drivel

[Uncle Bill]

"ARE WE SAFE ENOUGH YET? HOW ABOUT TANKS IN THE STREETS?"

It could never, ever, happen here.

GOVERNMENT TERRORISM: