Let the Patriot Act Expire

On December 31^st, most of the provisions signed into law under the Patriot Act were due to expire. Many Congressional Republicans wanted to extend the law for several years (so does our dear President), saying that the Patriot Act has saved the country from terrorists attacks in the days since it was signed, following 9/11. Then they run this “fear-trip” on everyone by saying that if we want to be safe, then the Patriot Act should be renewed. Unfortunately many Congressional Democrats have fallen underneath this spell and only want to modify the Patriot Act instead of letting it expire. Gladly though, the Patriot was held up in one of the Houses of Congress and only received a 1 month extension.

And can you believe that yours truly, Maelstrom, actually started listening to those fear-mongers on Capitol Hill too?!! I started thinking, yeah, don’t get rid of the thing, just modify it, I don’t want to be unprotected. Fortunately I got my mind right, and remembered that the Patriot Act is a huge farce. That’s right, the Patriot Act is a sham, and is only another way for the government (this Administration in particular) to intrude on the privacy of its citizens.

My evidence you ask?

Look, name one terrorists attack that was thwarted by the Patriot Act. Go ‘head, name it.

See, can’t name one can you? The reason why is because there hasn’t been one. If this administration wants to keep hiding behind the guise of “this Act has prevented terrorists attacks,” then prove it. If they’re going to make the case for the Act, then they have the burden of proof.

And the fact that there hasn’t been a major terrorists attack here in the States since 9/11 is invalid for several reasons.

First off, it takes several years for major terrorists attacks to occur. Especially the ones that al-Qaeda administers. The previous al-Qaeda attack (before 9/11) on American soil was at the World Trade Centers in 1993. That’s 8 years, and we’re only 4 years removed from the last one. Secondarily, if terrorists wanted to attack us, they certainly could through the many unprotected ports and broken borders that exist in the USA. Finally, where are the perpetrators? In Madrid after the Train Bombings, in London after the Bus Bombings, and in Jordan after the Hotel bombings, there were people arrested, body parts found, something.

And if you want to argue that nothing was found in the USA because the catastrophe was prevented, then what about when the second round of London bombings were thwarted? And don’t you think that if the Patriot Act was specifically responsible for halting a terrorists attack that the Bush Administration would be loudly singing its praises? No way would that be a silent victory!

My point is simply this, whenever a terror threat has been averted, there have been arrest, and this knowledge wasn’t “in-house” or even local, it’s been worldwide. So again, ask yourself, where is the proof that another terrorist attack has even been attempted on the mainland since 9/11.

NO TERRORIST ATTACK HAS BEEN ATTEMPTED HERE SINCE 9/11!

But here’s what has worked to this administration’s advantage, and has caused many people (who were initially against the Patriot Act) to sharply soften their opposition: Time and Fear. So I’m writing just to remind you of this simple fact: The Patriot Act is not necessary, and it certainly does infringe upon our Constitutional Civil Rights.

The Patriot Act was not necessary, and would not have been necessary to prevent the events of 9/11. All the information needed to stop 9/11 was present at the time, according the 9/11 Commission Report. The only thing that needed to happen was for the CIA to talk to the FBI and the other investigational services. The needle was in the haystack, and could’ve been found, but the information that would’ve caused it to be found wasn’t being put together.

This is what the Patriot Act has accomplished, in my opinion: The Patriot Act has added more hay to the stack, so now if we are ever to find the proverbial needle, we will have to dig longer and deeper. And while adding more superfluous hay to the stack, it has been surreptitiously taking away our Civil Rights. The government can monitor the people, but the ability of the citizens to counter-check the government has been diminished. For example, if you check out a book at your local Public Library, the government can pull up those records (for whatever the reason…maybe the book you checked out is a book “only terrorists” would check out). Now, if you want to know that the government has been checking your library records, you CANNOT find out as a direct result of the Patriot Act.

So now a government that was designed “by the people and for the people” is now a people existing at the mercy of the government. And maybe not completely at the mercy of the government as of yet, but we’re swiftly heading there (as apparent by our President’s assertion that he has the right to wiretap American citizens without a court order).

My plea to you, please don’t be blinded by the fear-driven rhetoric. We are no safer today than before 9/11, and fighting “them” over “there” so we don’t have to fight them here is silly too, and won’t work (didn’t work for Spain, or even our number 1 ally Britain, so why would it work for us?).

We don’t need the Patriot Act!

-Maelstrom

The Sidebar

If someone says the word “bomb” on an airplane, then they don’t have one!

The other week someone on a USA flight overheard a passenger say the word bomb more than once, and so the flight was halted.

Now look, anyone with a bomb knows they have one, and the absolute last word they’re gonna say is “bomb.”

I would be more worried about someone repeating the word “doughnut” over and over again.

And then I’d ask them how many they have and if they’re strawberry filled or chocolate glazed, and can i have one.

Just a lil word to the wise brought to you by Maelstrom.