Do you think the government is slowly taking are rights away?

Answer 1

timmy toe.......you Idiot here is you answer...Some of the most dangerous provisions of the PATRIOT Act include those in Section 215 and 505. Section 215 allows the government to seize all our personal records, including those held by others. Anyone who turns over your records, for example, medical records or bank records, is forbidden from saying anything about it to anyone.

Section 505 allows the government to issue so-called National Security Letters, demanding all records from Internet Service Providers and other businesses -- all without judicial review. Prior to the enactment of the USA PATRIOT Act, these letters could be issued only against suspected terrorists. Now they can be issued against anyone. When the ACLU challenged this provision, the government immediately sought, and received, a gag order prohibiting the ACLU's legal team from saying anything to anyone -- including the staff and board of the ACLU -- about the case. After three weeks of negotiating with the government, a compromise was reached allowing a heavily-redacted version of the ACLU's complaint to be made public. Additionally, any time an ACLU staff member or board member wishes to speak to anyone about the case they must first read a memo issued by the ACLU's legal team that specifies what can be said about the case.

Section 802, in defining domestic terrorism, states, in part, "the term 'domestic terrorism' means activities that-
'(A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State;
'(B) appear to be intended-
'(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population;
'(ii) to influence the policy of a government byintimidation or coercion."

Because of its broad language, many have argued that this definition could apply to environmental or peace organizations.

Strossen said that, in addition to litigation, the ACLU is supporting coalitions around the country that are working to adopt community resolutions opposing the PATRIOT Act. As of mid-April, 295 communities in 40 states have passed such resolutions and dozens more are preparing to do so. Five communities in Florida are among those passing resolutions against the USA PATRIOT Act. They are: Alachua County (October 22, 2002), Broward County (May 6, 2003), Sarasota (October 20, 2003), Lee County (November 18, 2003), and Tampa (April 15, 2004). Washington, D.C. and New York City, the two cities hit hard on September 11, have passed similar resolutions opposing the PATRIOT Act. Strossen said that the most compelling testimony in favor of the resolutions came from survivors of the World Trade Center disaster.

Lawmakers of all political stripes have finally begun to reconsider controversial portions of the PATRIOTAct. Late last year, Senators Larry Craig (R-ID) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) introduced the bipartisan Security and Freedom Ensured Act (safe) Act of 2003 (S 1709). Representative C.L. "Butch" Otter (R-ID) introduced a companion bill in the house. Otter's bill would effectively prohibit implementation of one of the most controversial provisions of the PATRIOT Act, which permitted federal agents to obtain sneak and peek warrants in any criminal case. These warrants allow agents to search homes, confiscate certain types of property and essentially bug computers without notifying the subject of the search that it is happening. If passed, this legislation would represent a significant first step toward rolling back some of the PATRIOT Act's worse excesses by, among other things, placing reasonable limits on "sneak and peek" searches and implementing safeguards for "roving wiretaps" in foreign intelligence investigations. According to Strossen, the Florida delegation voted 18 -- 6 in favor of Otter's provision.

Strossen is the first woman to head the nation's largest and oldest civil liberties organization. Because the ACLU Presidency is a non-paid, volunteer post, Strossen continues in her faculty position as Professor of Law at New York Law School. She has written, lectured and practiced extensively in the areas of constitutional law, civil liberties and international human rights. Strossen has been an outspoken critic of the USA PATRIOT Act and other post-9/11 measures that share anti-civil liberties characteristics, including provisions that erode checks and balances on federal law enforcement and surveillance powers that threaten the American political system's separation of powers.

For more information on the ACLU's activities in opposition to the PATRIOT ACT, visit http://www.aclu.org/safeandfree. The site includes a link to read or download the Act in its entirety.

Answer 2

Yes, as they have been doing for most of the past 100 years. It all started with direct income tax and the ability to start treating people differently. Slowly it transformed into entitlement. Now the government is so large and intrusive that there is no power on earth capable of reigning it in. Notice how there are no politicians running on a platform of greater freedom and substantially smaller government?

Answer 3

Ok, so what rights of yours have been taken away? I mean, if they're taking rights away and we're not noticing, then, technically speaking, are our rights REALLY being taken away? I mean, at some point we would notice.

I'm 45 years old. I have lived in America ('cause I was born here) all my life, and in various states (Air Force brat). I have all the same rights I ever did before. Ok, ok, I don't have the right to bring my sewing scissors on the airplane anymore, but with changing times, come some changing laws for everyone's protection.

Somebody, please be specific and list the rights that have been taken away. Video cams don't bother me, bc they have been proven very instrumental in solving crimes, and, frankly, I feel safer even with that technology.

And if someone's watchig me for any "wrong" reasons, then pity them, because they must have a pathetically boring life. I am just not a very interesting person to watch. Really. I have middle-age "spread." ;-)

Answer 4

Well they're being taken away at a relatively fast rate.... The patriot act takes away our privacy, BUsh wanted the Dixie Chicks to apologize for speaking their minds.... Some day they'll all be gone, and I along with other people who spoke against Bush will never be heard from again.

Answer 5

Yes. Just think about this. We supposedly have 11,000,000 illegals in the US...they didn't arrive overnight! Also how did they count them?...Could it be that the government is pushing this issue so that they can force an ID card on to us, and perhaps even require family registration books (and to insure compliance, they would have to make raids) Once those things are in place, you are easily controlled, found, identified and depersonalize. 9-11 has already created windows for our privacy to be invaded.

Answer 6

Most of the people here agree that our rights are being taken away. Now will you same people vote this government out of office? It IS time ya know.

Answer 7

No.

I think they are QUICKLY taking our rights away.

However, it isn't just the government. We have enough media
and politicians saying that dissent=disloyalty that the effect is
almost worse than if it was just an issue of the government
changing laws or simply ignoring them.

Answer 8

No more than they always have. In the last 50 years we have lost
lots of rights including right to pray in public schools.

Answer 9

Hell yeah. look at the patriot act, and the limitations on driving in certain states. Slowly but surely you won't have a say so, scary thought isn't it.

Answer 10

Adham Shaikh - Rabbit Hole Raga!