Shouldn't we stop and recap
Where we've been -- and WHERE we're going?
If Not Now -- then WHEN?
Sen. Ron Wyden and Sen. Jeff Merkley raise concerns about fast U.S. Senate passage of Patriot Act
by Charles Pope, The Oregonian -- May 24, 2011,
WASHINGTON -- With the end-of-week deadline fast approaching for Congress to renew critical provisions of the Patriot Act, Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley are sharply questioning the anti-terror law.
[...]
“The Patriot Act was passed a decade ago during a period of understandable fear,” Wyden said Tuesday evening from the Senate floor.
“Now is the time to revisit this, revisit it and ensure that a better job is done of striking that balance between fighting terror and protecting individual liberty,’’ he said of the sweeping law that went into effect in October 2001.
Shouldn't we ... "revisit this" ?
Here's what I posted on the Topic a few days ago:
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The Patriot Act to escape unscathed from the Bin Laden dividend
So much for making the most of your Political Capital, from a hard fought victory.
So much for fighting for what's right.
So much for restoring the Constitution.
Congress leaders agree four-year extension to PATRIOT act
AP, thejournal.ie -- 5/20/2011
TOP CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS have agreed to a four-year extension of the United States’ anti-terrorist Patriot Act, the controversial law passed after the September 11 attacks that governs the search for terrorists on American soil.
The deal between the Democrats’ Senate majority leader Harry Reid and Republican House speaker John Boehner calls for a vote before May 27, when parts of the current act expire.
The proposal is to pass the extension with as little debate as possible, to avoid a protracted and familiar argument over the expanded power the law gives to the government.
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How bad can it be anyways?
[continuing ...]
The legislation would extend three expiring provisions until June 1, 2015, officials said.
The provisions at issue allow the government to use roving wiretaps on multiple electronic devices and across multiple carriers and get court-approved access to business records relevant to terrorist investigations.
The third, a “lone wolf” provision that was part of a 2004 law, permits secret intelligence surveillance of non-US individuals without having to show a connection between the target and a specific terrorist group.
What is the Patriot Act's track record for adhering to those "safeguards", anyways?
DOJ Admits Abuse of Patriot Act
by Ed Brayton, scienceblogs.com -- September 29, 2009
In 2001, the Patriot Act was passed and it gave the government the authority to do a search without ever talking to a judge or getting a warrant, just by issuing a "National Security Letter." And when they issued it, the recipient had to comply and they could not inform the subject of the search that they had been searched.
In 2006, we found out that throughout 2004 and 2005 the FBI had abused the procedure hundreds of times, but they assured us that the situation had been fixed. And in 2008, we found out that the abuse had continued throughout 2006. But don't worry, because they really did have it fixed that time and it wouldn't be happening anymore.
Now in 2009, the government admits that the NSLs, which were intended only to apply to terrorism investigations, were not used for terrorism more than 99% of the time in 2008.
If Bin Laden's death won't prompt the wholesale scaling back of the intrusive provisions of the Patriot Act -- Nothing will.
So much for making the most of your Political Capital.
So much for fighting for what's right.
So much for America, and its forever-to-be-trashed, Constitution.
All because of some mad man, has the power apparently, to still haunt us from the grave.
So much for Peace, within our lifetimes.
Hello Big Brother, here to stay ... or for at least for 4 more years, if Congress is allowed to extend this again, in the dead of the night.
Congress once again, is proving who they really serve.
________________
Shouldn't we stop and recap
Where we've been -- and WHERE we're going?
If Not Now -- then WHEN?