When Castro took power in Cuba in 1960, he randomly put people in charge of their neighborhoods to report goings-on, etc. The people, who were anti-communist, thought this will be a snap as I just won't report anything. Castro then "created" incidents within the various neighborhoods to see who would report and who wouldn't. Guess what happened to those who didn't report? Suddenly, EVERYONE was reporting every little detail about what was happening in his/her respective neighborhoods.
We all know that the guvmint sends people out to catch landlords who won't rent to certain ethnicities, etc. Who is to say that the guvmint won't send agents to go to various retailers (big and small) with $10,000 to see whether guy complies with the reporting regulations? How about sending out IRS Agents to check as to whether they comply or not? The Patriot Bill has all the ear-marks of Big Brother and Fidel Castro.
miss print
PS Does anyone know whether the Patriot bill includes the following four little words in it: "and for other purposes?" If so, then the guvmint can write anything into the bill they want - after it has been passed - because it decides what the other purposes are AT A LATER DATE.
Considering the attack on 9-11 and considering the possibility of more attacks, the possible use of smallpox - the possible use of suitcase nukes, and the Communist Chinese supplying Cuba with arms and munitions and the Communist Chinese now controlling the Panama Canal and the port at the Bahamas, I'd say it's time for all of us to keep our eyes - not "Wide Shut" but...Wide Open!
Okay, serious questions. Why do you think it is entrapment to check to see if someone is following the law? Another example you didn't use is checking bars to see if they are serving minors. Is there any pro-active law enforcement activity that you find acceptable? Where do you draw the line?