posted on Aug, 3 2004 @ 06:08 PM
Congress enacted the Patriot Act by overwhelming, bipartisan margins, arming law enforcement with new tools to detect and prevent terrorism: The USA
Patriot Act was passed nearly unanimously by the Senate 98-1, and 357�66 in the House, with the support of members from across the political spectrum.
Source:
ACLU
Were they right? You be the judge.
The Patriot Act gives the FBI unlimited power to spy on ordinary people, whether they be citizens or not, living here in the United States. Some of
the pertinent points of Section 215:
The government does not need to show probable cause that you are engaged in criminal activity. Nor do they need to have a reasonable suspicion that
you are acting in concert or as an agent of any foreign entity or power. Additionally, you can be investigated merely for exercising your
constitutionally protected right under the first amendment, in other words for what you read.
For example, the FBI could spy on a person because they don't like the books she reads, or because they don't like the web sites she visits.
They could spy on her because she wrote a letter to the editor that criticized government policy.
Another frightening aspect of the Act is that there is no record made of such surveillance. You will never know if the government is tracking what
you read or what you surf on the web or what you say.
The Libertarian Party has taken a strong position against the Patriot Act and believes that it must be rescinded. From their website:
The rights of due process, a speedy trial, legal counsel, trial by jury, the legal presumption of innocence until proven guilty, personal
privacy, the freedoms of assembly, expression and religion; and other individual liberties and rights must not be denied on the basis of national
security. The Bill of Rights provides no exceptions for a time of war.
For the record � Senator Kerry voted for the Patriot Act.
President Bush signed the Act into law.
Libertarian Faq on Patriot Act
[edit on 3-8-2004 by Bleys]