<p>The worst thing about it is its name.</p>
<p>Tuesday, December 9, 2003 12:01 a.m.</p>
<p>The Patriot Act has become a magnet for claims that the government is violating our individual rights. Yesterday, the federal commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks heard testimony from several prominent law professors on the dangers of the act. Last month, Al Gore called for the act's repeal, accused the Bush administration of suspending civil liberties, and claimed that the government was using "fear as a political tool to consolidate its power and to escape any accountability for its use." Democratic front-runner Howard Dean has called the act "morally wrong," "shameful," and "unconstitutional." Many cities have refused to assist the federal government in its implementation.</p>