Can someone please explain the Patriot Act?

Question

I thought I knew what it was, but my friend says this can't be true: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AlzbHcszBlnESAPuVZqY0A9IzKIX?qid=20070519150454AAqP7L2

So...please help? With no bias and serious answers only please? And no, its not for homework. (I'm just confused.)

Answer 1

"Those that will give up essential Liberties for a little security deserve neither." - Ben Franklin

Yes, it's legal. There are people that have been held in detention for years with absolutely no evidence against them. Their only crimes may include giving money to Muslim charities, having names that match a terror watch list, visiting places like Pakistan, or knowing terror suspects.

These are only legal because every time a detainee challenges his detention in court, he is released to prevent the case from being heard by a judge. Once a person is released, he has no standing to challenge the detention. The Attorney General's Office is 1 for 3000, so far. They successfully prosecuted one real terrorist and had to release 3000 others for lack of evidence. The one success was for overstaying his visa. That's why we keep people at Guantanamo.

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is not subject to American legal jurisdiction, so far anyway. If it were, those 'enemy combatants' (which is a classification in violation of the Geneva Conventions) would be afforded the protections of any other defendant in an American court. Rather than do that, the Gov't wants to hold kangaroo courts made up of military officers (tribunals), also in contravention of the Geneva Conventions.

Basically, we break our own laws in order to protect our way of life, which includes our system of law. Kind of circular reasoning, eh?

Answer 2

Google "total information awareness". It is a real eye opener and would shock most Americans. The Patriot Act is something Karl Rove cooked up to give Bush free rein, with no obstructions with that little thing we call our Constitution to do anything he wants outside of the law. Our forefathers are spinning in their graves. Post your opinion after you google the above.

Answer 3

The Patriot Act does not allow for random arrest of people with muslim names. It does allow law enforcement broader range in holding and deporting suspected terrorists who are foreigners.
What it also does do is let the government, without any warrant or cause, collect and examine data on you, from communications to finance. Your bank accounts, transactions, emails, phone calls are now all government business.
The real effect was to remove any sort of privacy citizens of this country enjoyed.

Answer 4

Basically the patriot act allowed different parts of the Government to exchange information. The FBI can talk to the CIA and the NSA. This way we can cordinate information about possible attacks against the US and hopefully stop them.

Answer 5

The Patriot Act is an act that allows the government to listen in on your phone conversations, see your e-mails, basically look at your "private" life in the name of national security. Many find this to be an invasion of privacy, which I totally agree with.

Just search it on Wikipedia or something. It's everywhere.

Answer 6

Thats a large subject, and too complicated to explain here. I suggest you start here and read all the links at the bottom.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_act

In short - they can hold him for very long periods of time, and they can gag you and your attorneys from speaking about it.

If you still have questions or concerns - or want to challenge his detention (I don't think you can) try contacting the ACLU. They'll set you straight,

http://www.aclu.org/contact/index.html

Answer 7

It is an act that is "supposed" to defend America but ended up costing taxpayers billions of dollars.

And I thought Bush was conservative and nice to taxpayers?

Answer 8

Very serious answers... There is no patriot act.

Just a bunch a Lie fraud kill and still... and then oil ;)