10 Years Later: Do you support the Patriot Act?

[rambone]

The USA PATRIOT Act became law on this day ten years ago, October 26th, 2001. Hundreds of pages of legislation was conceived, debated, written, amended, passed through both legislative bodies, and signed by President Bush within 45 days.

Do you support it? If so, please tell us why.


POLL: PATRIOT Act Turns 10; Politicians Weigh In

"Today, we take an essential step in defeating terrorism, while protecting the constitutional rights of all Americans," President Bush said while signing the law. "With my signature, this law will give intelligence and law enforcement officials important new tools to fight a present danger."

The law passed the House by a vote of 357 to 66 and passed the Senate by a vote of 98 to 1.

 

[rambone]

How the Patriot Act stripped me of my free-speech rights

Sometime in 2012, I will begin the ninth year of my life under an FBI gag order, which began when I received what is known as a national security letter at the small Internet service provider I owned. On that day in 2004 (the exact date is redacted from court papers, so I can’t reveal it), an FBI agent came to my office and handed me a letter. It demanded that I turn over information about one of my clients and forbade me from telling “any person” that the government had approached me.

National security letters are issued by the FBI, not a judge, to obtain phone, computer, and banking information. Instead of complying, I spoke with a lawyer at the American Civil Liberties Union and filed a constitutional challenge against the NSL provision of the Patriot Act, which was signed into law 10 years ago Wednesday.

 

[mrjarrell]

Didn't approve of the travesty when they initially foisted it upon us and still don't. I refuse to vote for any candidate who voted for it, or its renewal.

 

[HeadlessRoland]

Did any of the Soviets complain about the Gulag Archipelago? I can only think of one, but they almost killed him. WHY WON'T YOU TAKE YOUR MEDICINE AND GET WITH THE PROGRAM?! YOU ARE HURTING BIG BROTHER'S FEELINGS!

 

[Benny]

This will go down as one of the most lopsided polls on INGO ever.

Good luck getting anyone that votes "yes" to actually explain themselves...I'm pretty sure anyone who does will just be doing it to be different, since your poll is private.

 

[BBSparkle]

Why would I have supported it in the first place?

Give them an inch, they'll take a mile.


Isn't there some quote from one of the founding fathers about giving up your rights to make things 'safer' being an incredibly stupid idea?

 

[Chefcook]

I never supported it in the first place.

 

[buckstopshere]

The only reason I voted no was because not in this lifetime or the next wasn't an option.

 

[rambone]

I want to know who actually likes this law. I don't think I can think of anyone who supports it, outside of politicians and FOX News contributors. I can't remember any member of this site ever making a defense for it. I think that is very interesting.

 

[Slapstick]

Didn't agree with it then, don't agree with it now.

 

[Kedric]

wow... someone actually clicked yes.
Going to guess it was a troll.

 

[bigus_D]

Not then. Not now. Not ever.

 

[Benny]

wow... someone actually clicked yes.
Going to guess it was a troll.

Now two have.

They are either trolls, cowards or both since they voted and ran without explaining themselves.

 

[halfmileharry]

We all knew what was going to happen then and understand it even better than before.
I understand that at the time panic was upon our nation due to being targeted by "evil doers".
Once that power was given it will never be able to be taken back.
I understand we live in a capitalistic society under the guise of democracy but not even given the courtesy of a "reach around" is above and beyond what I feared.

 

[96firephoenix]

didn't approve it when it passed. for some reason a 10-year-old was able to spot that it was unconstitutional, but the politicians couldn't

 

[Coach]

Not now or then. There are lots of people out there who think it makes us safer and therefore they go along with it. Lots of people think anal probes at the airport are ok as well since it makes us safer.

 

[dross]

Some provisions made sense, but like everything the government does, it was done badly.

We needed legislation that addressed some of the weaknesses in our legal system that made it easier for our enemies to take advantage. Much of it went too far.

 

[smitty12b]

Didn't approve of the travesty when they initially foisted it upon us and still don't. I refuse to vote for any candidate who voted for it, or its renewal.

This really pains me to do but I agree with this statement 1000%. Those who give up freedom for security deserve neither.

 

[rambone]

Some provisions made sense, but like everything the government does, it was done badly.

We needed legislation that addressed some of the weaknesses in our legal system that made it easier for our enemies to take advantage. Much of it went too far.

Can you elaborate? I don't remember liking any aspects of the law.

I think that this goes beyond a case of poor execution on the part of incompetent legislators. At some point, we must stop compromising America's soul, and blatant tyranny must be called out for what it is. This will go down as one of the most bald-faced infringements that the Bill of Rights has ever seen. Its 1/10th as popular as Obamacare and twice as unconstitutional. When conservatives should have been rallying in the streets, they were calling protesters unAmerican Bush-bashing libtards.

 

[Classic]

I sometimes can't believe we are still in America, at least not the America I grew up in. Our rights are being suspended one-by-one, the government seems to be inclined to keep intruding and I just don't hear Americans reacting much at all. It all needs to be stopped or we are headed for some kind of Orwellian totalitarian state.