The Patriot Act........Well worth the extra security or an infringement on our rights?

Answer 1

Depends which side of the bars you're on. There are many other executive prders (many signed by Bill Clinton) allowing the police unprecedented advances into your homes. Don't think this just started in 2002. The American governmment has tightened free speech and closed your privacy rights for forty years since LBJ's Great Society and the expansion of Social Security (did you think there wasn't a price for the free school lunch program?)

Answer 2

While I can understand the need for security, the Patriot Act is a pure infringement on civil liberties. Aside from opening governmental abuse, abuses reported by the news a few months ago,it gives the government the power to access to your medical records, tax records, information about the books you buy or borrow without probable cause, and the power to break into your home and conduct secret searches without telling you for weeks, months, or indefinitely. The fourth amendment forbids this. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Now, we can argue all we want about us being at war and wartime powers. However, Congress never made an official declaration of war. Therefore, we are not Consitituionally at war. Even at wartime we have to uphold the rights of the people. How long will the "war on terror" go on, as long as the war on crime and drugs? There is no telling how long it will last. We also have to remember that the Bill of Rights and the Constitution were created to limit the powers of the federal government and expressly lay out what the government was forbidden to do. By doing this, it protects us from governmental tyranny and oppression. We have to learn from history what happens when a government becomes overly oppressive. We have to becareful about how much power we give the government, because once they have that power it rarely goes away. How far are we willing to go in the name of security? Are we willing to end up like those countries we once fought against in WWI or WWII? Are we willing to become a police state? Because if we are not careful that is exactly what will happen.

Answer 3

Depends on whether you actually think the extra security is warranted. I mean it is from the persons perpective of whether or not there is actually a threat strong enough to need a piece of legislation such as the patriot act. If you believe as I do then no the patriot act is an infringement and unlawful because of the way it was brought into being.

Answer 4

Whne I worked for the Feds , what I even have word become teh government become living in a widespread distinctive from what they assume all human beings else could desire to stay. They flagrantly violate privateness rules and whilst stated previously the decide, tehy say not a brilliant deal. Granted, i'm in basic terms viewing this in my small cosmos of the Federal gadget, yet I hate the belief to sea that we are givng them much greater leeway, because of the fact their physique of strategies is to ascertain how some distance they are able to push the envelope. As for Retroactively using this regulation, this is frightening. this ability that they have got violated the regulation and examine out to get some info in with out prosecuting people who've violated. there is not any existence like reason to try this. If we combat an enemy, we could desire to guard not turning out to be our enemy. we can't come down on different international locations for lacking ethical standards, whilst are very own government does not stand via the comparable widespread.

Answer 5

Some of both. It absolutely infringes on our rights to privacy - and leaves a big hole open to misuse by those in power.

I am baffled why the democrats left open the "spying on citizens without oversight". Is it a case of giving enough rope to the other side for them to hang themselves? Or do they have such conviction that they will have the next presidency that they thought to keep it?

Answer 6

If you surrender your rights for security, You will receive nether.

The police in most instances can t be everywhere.Crime
happens and we all as citizens must be able to take some
sort of control of our own protection.Or are you just to roll
up in a fetal position and pray help comes in time.Wire taps
and spying on the general public is not going to stop a
dedicated terrorist.We must all be vigilant and work with
law enforcement to stop them in their tracks.Giving up our
rights only gives the terrorist empowerment over the
American people.

Answer 7

You nice citizens have yet to figure out that you have no rights. I grew up poor and often on the wrong side of the tracks. Rights are a figment of your imagination. If you can not defend what is yours and you can not insure the safety of your family without the permission of your government you have no rights. We gave our rights away through the years now all we have left is allowances.

Answer 8

I have yet to experience a single infringement. I spent more time in line waiting for gas when Carter was in office than I have waiting to board an airliner. On top of that H.R. 218 now allows honorably retired Police Officers like me to bear arms across state borders. Who knows, I might even have the opportunity to save your life some day because of that.

Answer 9

Infringement and against the Fourth amendment of the US constitution
Anyone who defends this follows the logic of a police state.
Civil liberties have been fought for for centuries all around the world but now people would simply give them up without a struggle cos they're spoiled.They don't remember or can imagine how it is without them. They take life as we know it for granted while they accept when someone takes it away
Want to stress this again,the argument I have nothing to hide is the logic of a police state.When you choose to enter that logic you are no longer the land of the free and nothing stand in the way of government to take further steps.

Answer 10

Why not just give the federal government the right to do whatever they want in the name of our security? I think it's an abomination.