Why The Patriot Act Is Dangerous

Here's something I randomly came across this evening-

AP: U.S.: FBI Sought Info Without Court OK

The FBI secretly sought information last year on 3,501 U.S. citizens and legal residents from their banks and credit card, telephone and Internet companies without a court's approval, the Justice Department said Friday.

It was the first time the Bush administration has publicly disclosed how often it uses the administrative subpoena known as a National Security Letter, which allows the executive branch of government to obtain records about people in terrorism and espionage investigations without a judge's approval or a grand jury subpoena.

Friday's disclosure was mandated as part of the renewal of the Patriot Act, the administration's sweeping anti-terror law...

Notice that the Justice Department made this announcement on a Friday evening, when they knew few people would be paying attention? That's a standard trick. "Ohhh you're leaving for the weekend? Okay have fun, ohhh by the way, we've been gathering information on thousands of American citizens without court approval or oversight, okay then see you on Monday, bye!"

I'm always amazed at how little our basic constitutional freedoms are valued in the super-patriotic post-9/11 world. If the terrorists supposedly hated us for our freedoms, then why were those the very first things we were willing to sacrifice in the name of battling terror? Remember- it's those small freedoms, the ones you take for granted, that are always the first to disappear.

I always thought that the United States was a strong country- a country that won two World Wars, a country that won the Cold War without firing a shot- and could combat terrorism without having to disregard many of our freedoms as relics of a forgotten, simpler age. I was wrong. I apologize.

I can only hope that the next President will have the courage to rip up the Patriot Act.

[PS- The Bush administration fights to keep its secrets in the face of concerned Americans-
Feds Try to Dismiss Domestic Spying Suit]