We All Knew This Would Happen

[Pyrrho]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/04/09/MN257910.DTL

Members of Congress seek to make temporary spying powers permanent.

[wert]

Originally posted by pyrrho2000
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/04/09/MN257910.DTL

Members of Congress seek to make temporary spying powers permanent.

A ray of hope at the end.

But Republicans were upset because several Democrats said that when the measure reaches the Senate floor for a full vote, perhaps this week or later in the month, they plan to offer amendments that would impose tougher restrictions on the use of secret warrants.

It still sucks that they want to extend it.

Upset, yah. Surprised, heck no! We don't deserve our freedoms!

[Smalso]

So Orin Hatch is behind this? Surprise, surprise.

I disagree that the security of this country and the safety of its citizens can only be achieved by modifying the Bill of Rights; no more so that it was made safer by locking up American citizens of Japanese ancestry and confiscating their property during WWII. (A lot of people got rich off that one; go figure.) The presidental oath is "to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States," not to rescind it just because he is not able to do his job by abiding by it.

[Khalid01]

Our time seems to gradually become more like 1919 and 1920, with the Palmer raids and abuse of old immigration and sedition laws.

[corplinx]

Originally posted by pyrrho2000

Members of Congress seek to make temporary spying powers permanent.

I think the connotation of this is worse than reality is. It doesn't really cite what exactly the spying "powers" are. Notice they use the word "spying also".

My only problem with the patriot act is that to me it doesnt provide enough oversight. If you notice, most of the less farcical patriot act criticisms are based on "what if this is abused".