Is the patriot act only to prevent terrorist attacks, or can any law enforcement agency use it for any crime?

Question

I know the Patriot Act is a powerful weapon to prevent terrorist attacks, which obviously any reasonable person would support. My fear, however, is that it can be extended to any law enforcement agency to catch anyone who commits any crime no matter how insignificant, which could lead our government down the road of fascism.

Answer 1

I think when they wire tap, they are wire tapping people that they feel are threats. We have the C.I.A. who get information. Also if you are not doing anything illegal anyways then there should be no problem.

Answer 2

If You are doing nothing wrong You don't have anything to worry about. That has nothing to do with the constitution. I have looked for it and can't find it. Big brother is not supposed to spy on You unless they have a reason to.

Its hard to keep track of all the violations of the constitution by both sides over the last 40 50 years. 1 2 4 5 at least

ACLU is not a friend of the constitution

Answer 3

The Patriot Act permits the FBI to conduct so-called sneak and peek searches - where the FBI can search someone's home or office without notifying them until weeks or even months later - in criminal cases, including cases having nothing to do with terrorism.

It allows the FBI to do "sweeps" of business records without having to name what (or who) they're looking for.

ISPs, universities and network administrators can authorize government surveillance without judicial notice before or after the fact.

It permits, without any connection to anti-terrorism efforts, sensitive personal information about U.S. citizens to be shared with local and state law enforcement.

So yes, I think the first steps have been taken down that road. Here's a chilling extended list:
http://www.aclu.org/safefree/general/17203leg20030214.html

And I'm so sick of hearing "if you've done nothing wrong, what are you afraid of." If we have done nothing wrong, then there is no need to be spying on us, is there?

Here's a nice quote from a guy I'm surprised I'm quoting...Ron Paul: "I'm afraid of losing the last vestiges of privacy that a free society should hold dear. I'm afraid of creating a society where the burden is on citizens to prove their innocence, rather than on government to prove wrongdoing. Most of all, I'm afraid of living in a society where a subservient populace surrenders its liberties to an all-powerful government."

Answer 4

I believe it is restricted to national security cases , but the definition of national security can be stretched for cover things that have only a vague connection. Anti racketeering laws were passed to give government a weapon to fight organized crime, and is now being used to prosecute teenagers who sell pot to their friends.