When did I say it's okay? I have never made any such statement. That said, can you name any part of the Patriot Act or other similar legislation that has directly eroded your personal freedoms? Dodging the question does your argument no justice.
The statement was implied by your support of the act, because that's exactly what it does. More specifically:
Section 213 revises Title 18 of the US code to allow for effectively indefinite delay of search warrant notification -- meaning that the government can search your privacy and is no longer required to notify you that a search warrant has been served. Initially they can just delay it for "a reasonable period of time" (unspecified, oh-so-conveniently), but courts are given the power to extend it. This is in violation of the Fourth Amendment which bars unreasonable searches and seizures.
Section 215 revises Title V of the FISA by allowing the government to demand "any tangible thing" from any business in connection with a terrorism investigation. Further, paragraphs c(2) and d explicitly state that this is done in secret with no notification of the search. The only limitation is that it cannot be "solely on the basis of activities protected by first amendment". The Fourth amendment prohibits such sweeping search and seizure powers.
Section 216 revises Title 18 to remove the particularity of wiretaps, such that a wiretap order can "apply to any person or entity providing wire or electronic communication". Again, this violates the Fourth Amendment's limitations on searches and seizures, specifically put in place to prevent the government from simply being able to monitor all of your communications at will by mentioning the word 'Terrorist'.
I could go on quoting each and every piece of it, like the parts that allow indefinite detention of immigrants, but it's really unnecessary; I stand by my point. The fact that many of these kinds of provisions have since been challenged and ruled unconstitutional by the supreme court only further supports this. They were challenged
after people were wrongfully jailed. Yes, I do hold the administration and the congress responsible for passing this garbage.
Crotale said:
If you take an actual look at the Patriot Act legislation, it has an planned expiration dates. This is done to help prevent what you are claiming could happen.
The Act had expirations built into it for July 2005, originally. Then they wanted to remove those expirations. The Senate wanted to re-authorize the act after revising it to not so flagrantly disregard the Bill of Rights, the House wanted to keep it the same. It went to committee, a version that was almost entirely the House version passed congress on March 2 2006, and Bush signed it into law on March 9.
For reference, those were H.R. 3199 and S. 1389, though the senate replaced its language mostly with H.R. 3199. That bill made permanent all of the Patriot Act except for roving wiretaps (section 216) and business records (Section 215); which it only extended.
Crotale said:
You're missing the point of my question, which I conveniently asked again. If you do not know the actual wording, intent and full up policy and how it is handled, how do you know if those who claim that our freedoms are being eroded are in fact telling you the truth? My god, man, think for a minute, mmkay?
See above. I'm quite capable of thinking for myself, 'mmkay', and intent is meaningless in such matters. The fact is that the act gives them these powers that quite deliberately and explicitly erode the rights granted to us by the Constitution, and all it takes is a few corrupt people to abuse them, as they have abused most other laws. Again,
people have been wrongly jailed under the Patriot Act. Where I come from, violating the rights of innocent people is not an acceptable tradeoff for security. Collateral damage may work to fool idiots with regards to war, but not when it comes to your guaranteed rights as a human being.
Crotale said:
Obviously, it doesn't affect the majority of Americans either. You gonna blame me for them not giving two craps as well?
So let's just let the majority oppress the minority and everything is all hunky-dory. Okay.
