The USA PATRIOT ACT

Today the word "patriot" sparks a different meaning then it did 5 years ago. People now are split on what they think when the word "patriot" means to themselves. One person may think of how great their government has been and another may think the whole system needs changed. Today paying close attention when you hear the USA PATRIOT Act and awkward acronym stands for Uniting Strengthening America by Providing the Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (Act) a 342 page document forced and reluctantly passed in a hurry a month after September 11 by a scared and vengeful Congress. "Appropriate Tools" in this case, means expanded surveillance and monitoring at significantly reduced checks and balances surrounding how these tools are used.

The PATRIOT Act concerns you if you frequent libraries or bookstores, Internet service providers, go to school, go to the doctor, use credit cards or banks, have a lawyer, leave the country, go to jail, belong to an activist organization, read alternative publications, or know anyone who does this (Welch, 3).

Screenchot of USA PATRIOT Act (German Wikipedia)

President George W. Bush addresses an audience Wed...

English: U.S. Senator Russ Feingold spoke on the S...

Your rights to do all these things and the rights to do these things free of surveillance has completely changed in the past two years.

Hale 2

One of the most talked about insinuations of these new instilled powers is the privacy of library and bookstore patrons, or lack thereof. Previously, a government or police official that wanted privileged information (such as lists of books checked out, Internet habits, or home addresses and phone numbers) had to have subpoena issued by a judge. The US Senate describes that now they usually do not need a search warrant, and the warrant, which can be issued almost immediately, does not need to have a specific name on it. In other words, the FBI can go to your...