Have you "personally" experienced a rights violation because of the Patriot Act?

Answer 1

Nobody has "personally" experienced a rights violation because the Patriot Act, because the Patriot Act did not take any rights away from anyone. The Patriot Act is merely a consolidation of powers already possessed by the various government agencies.

Answer 2

I lived in the People's Republic of China for two years and never met anyone who had personally experienced anything that would have been considered a violation of civil rights in the US. Does that mean that they were as "free" as Americans? Rights need to be protected when they are *not* needed, by the people who don't need them; otherwise, they are meaningless. As rights are taken away, most of us will be lucky enought to be able to adjust our behaviors to deal with our new, restricted public sphere, as were all of my Chinese friends. That does not mean that those rights will not be missed.

Answer 3

How would we know, a lot of the patriot act was classified and no one, not even congress knows what is in it.

Do you call haveing my phone call data taken by the govt a violation? Is that a search without a warrant? Did they have probable cause?

Answer 4

Yes,

Every time I check a book out at the library the fed government now puts it on a list. They listen to my phone conversations and can read my emails. I am doing nothing wrong but I do not believe that they should have the right to do this so I do feel violated and feel that my rights have been infringed upon.

Answer 5

Do you really expect government and its leaders to take out an ad saying "Creeping violations of your civil rights here"?

If you aren't alarmed that your government is monitoring your phone calls without a wiretap, then you are not a thinking person. And before you reply, "If you're not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to hide," I make international phone calls and also email friends in the People's Republic of China. They are innocuous, but it none of the government's business what takes place in those communications unless they have probable cause to believe I am committing a crime. That is what the rule of law is all about.

Answer 6

In honor of Pastor Martin Niemöller:

First they came for the 6th Amendment, but I hadn't been accused of a crime, so I didn't object to denial of counsel.

Then they came for the 4th Amendment, but I wasn't talking to anyone overseas, so they wouldn't be monitoring me.

Then they came for the rest of the 4th Amendment, but I only called my mother, so there was nothing suspicious in my phone records.

Then they came for the 1st Amendment, but I never associated with criminals, so I didn't worry about being convicted purely based on what other people might do.

Then they came for the 14th Amendment, but I never really understood the rules for Due Process (and wasn't allowed an attorney), so I didn't object.

Then they came for the rest of the 1st Amendment, but I never told anyone about what the government was doing, so again I remained silent.

Then they came for the 5th Amendment, ...... and I no longer had the right to remain silent.

Answer 7

No I haven't. The only changes I've seen is only when I travel by air. There again no rights have been violated.

Answer 8

Nope. But then again, I don't often interact with cops and military types as I am a nice, normal, law-abiding citizen.

Answer 9

The whole thing is that you wouldn't know if you did or not. When your phone or computer are being monitored they don't give you notice...

Answer 10

There are two philosophies in government, either you are innocent until proven guilty or you are guilty until proven innocent. Neither one is right or wrong, you have to pick one to live by.