How does a Patriot Act?

     Do you consider yourself to be a Patriot, fighting for liberty and freedoms? Are you aware of your political leaders, their actions and the effects of those actions? Do you find yourself in debates with people who disagree with the small government, small debt, and no more wars, end the Federal Reserve ideas? Well you might be a Patriot, but that’s not what this is about. This is about the bill named The Patriot Act.

     Signed into law by our Republican President following the events of September 11^th 2001, it has been lengthened by the same republican President near the end of his term and was again continued by our Democratic President. A lot of people do not know what this bill is, or what it entails for our rights as individuals or our right to privacy. The bill passed mostly unopposed in both the house and the senate, only a handful of people in congress took the time to understand what this would mean for our security at the cost of our liberty. The title of the act is a ten letter backronym (USA PATRIOT) that stands for Uniting (and) Strengthening America (by) Providing Appropriate Tools Required (to) Intercept (and) Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001. This bill also is piggybacked by the NDAA or National Defense Authorization Act.

     What is in this bill that makes it so bad, well I’ll explain that here. The Patriot Act is a bill to piggy back on the FISA act of 1978. FISA or Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is a bill used since 1978 to gather intelligence from American citizens and use it against them to deem them threats to national security. How do they gather this information, they have many ways, wiretapping, seizure of electronic devices and seizure of refuse or as we call it digging through your trash. The Patriot Act allows the presidential administration to wiretap phone lines, intercept any electronic messages and sort through mail coming in and leaving any address in the country. It significantly reduced restrictions in law enforcement agencies' gathering of intelligence within the United States; expanded the Secretary of the Treasury’s authority to regulate financial transactions, particularly those involving foreign individuals and entities; and broadened the discretion of law enforcement and immigration authorities in detaining and deporting immigrants suspected of terrorism-related acts. The act also expanded the definition of terrorism to include domestic terrorism, thus enlarging the number of activities to which the USA PATRIOT Act’s expanded law enforcement powers can be applied. indefinite detentions of immigrants; searches through which law enforcement officers search a home or business without the owner’s or the occupant’s permission or knowledge; the expanded use of National Security Letters, which allows the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to search telephone, e-mail, and financial records without a court order, and the expanded access of law enforcement agencies to business records, including library and financial records. Since its passage, several legal challenges have been brought against the act, and Federal courts have ruled that a number of provisions are unconstitutional.

This is an outline of the sections in Title 2 of the act.

201         Authority to intercept wire, oral, and electronic communications relating to terrorism

202         Authority to intercept wire, oral, and electronic communications relating to computer fraud and abuse offenses

203(b)   Authority to share electronic, wire and oral interception information

204         Clarification of intelligence exceptions from limitations on interception and disclosure of wire, oral, and electronic communications

206         Roving surveillance authority under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978.

207         Duration of FISA surveillance of non-United States persons who are agents of a foreign power

209         Seizure of voice-mail messages pursuant to warrants

212         Emergency disclosure of electronic communications to protect life and limb

214         Pen register and trap and trace authority under FISA

215         Access to records and other items under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

217         Interception of computer trespasser communications

218         Foreign intelligence information

220         Nationwide service of search warrants for electronic evidence

223         Civil liability for certain unauthorized disclosures

225         Immunity for compliance with FISA wiretap

     So what does all of this mean to you, why should you care, why should you be scared? The federal government has the power and authority to track, monitor and spy on you. So some will say “but I am not a terrorist why would they monitor me?” Well why wouldn’t they monitor you, they have to decide if you are or are not a threat. And then they have to keep monitoring you to make sure you do not become a threat, right? So what is your argument, they will do it, and they have the authority to do it, and they do not need to report to anyone the findings of their espionage. They need no rhyme or reason to watch your every move, they will because they can, because we have allowed them to do this. They hide these things in bills based on security and strip away our rights to privacy every chance they get. When will we be angry enough to stop this from happening, when we are forced to? What you don’t know can always hurt you. Be informed and watch the politician’s actions not their words.

     Patriotism is not about standing with your country it is about standing up to your country when it usurps too much power. It is about being the loudest voice and strongest will, the actions that you do are just as important as your words you speak; be true to this cause and in its own time it will pay off.

                                                                  Peace to all Patriots.