Since the Patriot Act was introduced, we have seen how the infringements on rights have moved forward at an alarming rate. You have Obama saying that people who use cell phone give up any reasonable expectation of privacy and therefore the federal government should be allowed to track Americans through their cell phones. You have warrant-less wiretapping under the guise of national security. We have the formation of the TSA, which has led to the groping and the naked body scans at airports with the promise to expand these government services to other aspects of American life. We even have Obama pushing to make the United States government immune from any lawsuit brought against it from its warrant-less wire tapping. Yes, this is what America looks like less than ten years after 9/11. Do you remember what our federal government officials said as they passed the Patriot Act?
We cannot allow the terrorists to change our way of life.
Well the Patriot Act expires next month. So keep all of these things in mind. Congress is in a rush to extend the Patriot Act, and it's not on many peoples' radar. Here in Missouri, both conservatives and liberals voted for the original Patriot Act under the lead of another "conservative" Missourian, Attorney General John Ashcroft--a crime I will never forgive Mr. Ashcroft for.
A year ago, Obama signed a bill extending three provisions of the original Patriot Act, and last week a Republican from Michigan, Mike Rogers introduced legislation to extend them again. Obviously the Republican party is willing to sell out the Constitution once again because the federal government does not have the authority to spy on Americans. We need to be vigilant in our efforts and flood the Congressional switchboards with calls demanding they stand up for the Constitution and end the Patriot Act. There is nothing patriotic about the Patriot Act.
