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AIM: maestrojed
YahooDepartment of Homeland Security & The Patriot Act: To protect us from terrorism, right?
Congress is being urged to renew the Patriot Act in the name of protecting us from terrorism. Allow me to quote:
“Now is not the time for us to be engaging in unilateral disarmament” on the legal weapons now available for fighting terrorism, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said. He said that some of the most controversial provisions of the Patriot Act have proven invaluable in fighting terrorism”.
Meanwhile, A leader of the Boy Scouts of America has been indicted on charges of possessing child pornography. Now please, please don’t get me wrong. I think this guy is a sick mofo. I would rather see arrests of the people creating the pornography (they are the ones truly hurting these children), but I am glad that people like this dude are accountable under the law and are being caught. However, a detail of his arrest that many may not known is that Smith was arrested not by the Police, FBI, SBI etc. Officials within the Homeland Security Department arrested him.
The President and Congress of the United States are telling us citizens that “a future terrorist attack is not a matter of if, it is a matter of when”. Whenever shortcomings in the US’s security against terrorism are found, a lack of funding and resources is always the first excused cited. We the people allowed the government to create the Department of Homeland Security for the purpose of combating terrorism.
Were we being lied to? Why is Homeland Security diverting their resources away from stopping the next inevitable terrorist attack? Why couldn’t the FBI, SBI, Police or any of the other previously established law enforcement agencies have handled this case?
Apparently, Homeland Security can expand their power without question or accountability, all in the name of terror prevention.
Now the bigger question: Should we, because we are told to be afraid, give up the personal rights and freedoms that the Patriot Act asks us to? Where are the checks and balances of these new laws? Where are the checks and balances on the actions of our terror-focused government? Why does the typical American not care that the government is attempting to take away these rights?
I do not plan on writing about the personal rights and freedoms that the Patriot Act violates and denies. I feel many have discussed that subject, very thoroughly. If you are unfamiliar I strongly urge you to visit HERE.
Tags:
8. April 2005 at 13:29
Yes the Patriot Act is poo poo law. Homeland Security is a bad idea cause we already have too many people in suits.
My fear is that one day I will not be able to get to a mall safely. I mean sure there is security there but I just don’t know.
I would stop the war on drugs and terrorism. Portland OR just had a town hall meeting to discuss dropping out of the federal task force on terrorism headed by the FBI and I say "Hoo Hoo".
Sorry I fell asleep.
8. April 2005 at 15:07
Listening to a report on PRI a couple weeks ago I wasn’t surprised to learn that the US has the fewest number of terrorist convictions, of the participating nations, since the War on Terror started. This is due to the Patriot Act not being constitutional and therefore having no teeth. So the DHS has no teeth and can’t do anything but temporarily detain people, unless they get a confession.
So who cares really, other than it’s a big waste of money, but that’s not going to change. It’s a show for the Republicans to show how tough they are so the conservative Christians will continue to vote for them. The Secret Service is currently protecting a duck nesting outside the Treasury Dept. good thing they’re not tax and spend Democrats. Cause god forbids balancing the budget.