Law Enforcement and the Patriot Act

The scope of our law enforcement changed from that of an agency designed to protect and serve the people to an agency designed to protect and serve the government without interest in the people's welfare. By allowing the gross manipulation of our constitution that is the Patriot Act, we have effectively denied ourselves the rights with which we grew up. Our Law Enforcement Agencies could if they so chose arrest me simply for being against the Patriot Act in a verbal and public manner. By denying me the basic fourth amendment rights as well as every other one, they as law enforcement have switched from protecting and serving to running a police state. This has been seen in many areas, such as, travel, phone conversations and even with some reporters having been placed in "protective" custody. As Benjamin Franklin so aptly put it, "If we give up our freedoms for a little temporary safety, than we deserve neither freedom nor safety!"

I am not anti United States I am however, anti- Government control to the extent they currently wield it. As an American Citizen, that has given much and lost more for this country and my freedoms, I cannot willfully give over any more of freedoms. Our law enforcement agencies must take this to task, and should not abuse the power they have been given. In fact, in many cases I feel that they should revert to the pre Patriot Act laws and regulations.

What do you feel?

Section by section I will outline why I feel the way I do.

SECTION 218 :

Allows federal agents to aqcuire warrants without the full steps normally required.

SECTION 215:

Invades my privacy regarding what I may or may not check out in a library, negates my ability to study without direct government interference. It also leads to profiling based on certain degree types.

SECTION 213:

A secret search nullifies the 4^th amendment, and that is more than enough reason to have this particular law reversed. Any law that goes against our Constitutionally granted rights and liberties is wrong.

SECTION 505:

By taking a judge out of the justice system loop, we are effectively voiding the entire legal system within our country. As citizens we are afforded certain rights and liberties, however when the legal system itself no longer honors those liberties and rights we have effectively become a police action state.

SECTION 206:

Allows for the tracking of cell phones without a proper legal warrant, this again voids the 4^th Amendment and almost every other amendment regarding the law.

SECTION 802:

Goes contrary to the First Amendment and are freedoms to protest illegal actions by the government. It denies us the legal right to protest as it could in fact be used to arrest protestors.

SECTION 411:

Denies political freedom in these United States, similar to the illegal (anti-red days) of the 50's and 60's when any professing communist was jailed and or disposed of. This goes contrary to the constitutionally allowed right to freedom of expression, and religion.

So as you all see, this Unconstitutional and illegal act was voted into being by our current leaders (with very few exceptions)

What will you do about this, or does anyone really care?

Here is Obama on this Illegal and monstrous act...

Date: December 16, 2005

Obama Statement on the PATRIOT Act

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today released the following statement on the PATRIOT Act:

"Earlier this year, the Senate passed legislation to strengthen the PATRIOT Act by implementing some common sense safeguards that would protect our civil liberties while still ensuring that our law enforcement has the tools it needs to fight terrorism. This legislation would have simply required federal agents to convince a judge that a search of sensitive personal information is reasonable and somehow connected to terrorism or espionage. And if an American is told that their personal information and private records must be searched, this bill would give them the opportunity to challenge this search in a court of law. It would also require the government to notify a person within seven days when it has gone into that person's home and taken their records or possessions, as opposed to the thirty days it has now.

"Giving law enforcement the tools they need to investigate suspicious activity is the right thing, and the Senate showed earlier this year that it can be done with the oversight of our judicial system so we do not jeopardize the rights of all Americans and the ideals America stands for. We should not let the PATRIOT Act expire at the end of this year, but instead extend the current law for three months so that we can come to an agreement on these critical issues in Congress."

Here was McCain as well...

Voted YES on reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act. This vote reauthorizes the PATRIOT Act with some modifications (amendments). Voting YEA extends the PATRIOT Act, and voting NAY would phase it out. The official summary of the bill is: A bill to clarify that individuals who receive FISA orders can challenge nondisclosure requirements, that individuals who receive national security letters are not required to disclose the name of their attorney, that libraries are not wire or electronic communication service providers unless they provide specific services, and for other purposes.

USA PATRIOT Act Additional Reauthorizing Amendments; Bill S. 2271 ; vote number 2006-025 on Mar 1, 2006

And this is why I did not vote for either one!