I have heard a lot of complaining about the Patriot Act. Can someone please give names of 5 people hurt by it?

Answer 1

1) David Banach was charged with temporarily blinding the pilot and co-pilot of an airplane with a laser beam, claiming he was simply using the device to look at stars with his 7-year-old daughter. Federal authorities used the Patriot Act to charge him with interfering with the operator of a mass transportation vehicle and making false statements to the FBI. If convicted, Banach could be sentenced to 25 years in prison and fined $500,000. The FBI acknowledged the incident had no connection to terrorism.

2) Denver resident Mike Maginnis was physically assaulted by Denver police during Vice President Dick Cheney's visit to the city and then held for hours while being verbally assaulted by men who represented themselves as federal agents working for the Secret Service. The latter, Maginnis claims, threatened to charge him as a "terrorist" under the USA Patriot Act. Maginnis apparently tried to phone a Denver area newspaper, only to have his phone call disconnected when authorities discovered who he was contacting.

3) Activist Bev Harris was told not to reveal to anyone the fact that she and her website were being investigated under the Patriot Act. It is illegal for a government agency to go in and demand the list of all the members of a group. And you can't investigate leaks to journalists by going in and grabbing the reporter's computer.

4) Seventh-grader John McLean, a 12-year-old kid at Boys' Latin middle school, researches a paper on the Bay Bridge, and suddenly the Joint Terrorist Task Force shows up in the headmaster's office.

5) In May 2004, Brandon Mayfield, an attorney in Portland, Ore., and a convert to Islam, was arrested in connection with the March 11, 2004, Madrid bombings that left 191 people dead. He was held for two weeks as a "material witness."

Mayfield was released after the FBI admitted his fingerprint had been mistakenly matched with one found at the scene of the Madrid attacks.

But the government has admitted to Mayfield that his home was searched secretly under a special court order authorized for intelligence purposes, when if fact agents were looking for evidence to use in a criminal prosecution.

Answer 2

Jose Padilla
US citizen imprisoned for years. Accused of being a dirty bomber, they decided against that and decided he was an enemy combatant. Now he's being tried in civilian court for providing support to terrorist and kill Americans overseas. He was never read Miranda rights and never had an attorney.

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Youre missing the point.

The problem is that they can be doing virtually anything without us knowing. This is basically a free pass to ignore laws and the Bill of Rights. Just because there is no proof of it being abused doesnt mean it hasnt been.

More importantly, even if it has not been abused it is still wrong. It allows for many things that should not be allowed for in the first place-it sets things up for an abuse of power, that is just as bad as actually abusing your power.


I have known and seen news reports on multiple people with overly common names (ie. John Smith) who were placed on the no-fly list and didnt find out until they went to the airport to board a plane.

Answer 3

I my self was tried under the patriot act for a crime i did not commit. I figured i would have been charged under the drug laws, but the prosecutor charged me under the patriot act. I got railroaded. I was guilty until proven innocent and i didnt even get that right. I was told over and over I was going to jail for 8 years unless i pled. No trial no nothing. I am so glad i decided to be a good citizen. Now that i am a criminal i will act like one.

Answer 4

My neighbor checked out a few library books that someone didn't like. He's now on a NO FLY LIST, can't get a credit card, passport, etc. etc. etc. They guy flies the American flag, has cookouts and has been a staple of the community for the last 40 years. The whole point about the Patriot also is that they can now make you an UNPERSON. SEARCH YOUR HOUSE DRAG YOU AWAY AND DETAIN YOU INDEFINATELY WITHOUT CHARGES. HOW WOULD ANYONE KNOW? Heck even their own families aren't informed. They just think their loved one is missing or has been kidnapped, etc.

Answer 5

Whats funny is when President Hillary Clinton starts using the Patriot act to start rounding up gun sellers, militia types, etc. the Right Wingers on here who LOVE THE PATRIOT NOW, will scream like little girls about how evil the Patriot act is... 100,000 people murdered in last 5 years in the USA, they definately could justify it as being the worst terrorism of all, and you know how much the Repubs hate Hillary! They will all go overboard and start saying really ugly things about her, and that will get them on all sorts of watch-lists and when the full weight of the Patriot Act falls on their heads; they will wish to God they never supported the madness that is the Unpatriot act to begin with!

Answer 6

i do no longer ***** relating to the Patriot Act. I ***** approximately people who who see no project with it. And if that includes Obama or everybody else come December 31, 2009, then i will ***** approximately that too.

Answer 7

Sorry that's classified, by executive order of the President of the United States.

Answer 8

Terrorists, illegals, liberals, gays and liberals are complaining about the Patriotic Act.

Answer 9

Unfortunately, that information is unavailable at this time.

Answer 10

It hasn't affected my life at all..it will be interesting to see the answers