Patriot Act, Anyone?

We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.
—    Edward R. Murrow
There is no doubt that if we lived in a police state, it would be easier to catch terrorists.  If we lived in a country that allowed the police to search your home at any time for any reason;  if we lived in a country that allowed the government to open your mail, eavesdrop on your phone conversations, or intercept your email communications;  if we lived in a country that allowed the government to hold people in jail indefinitely based on what they write or think, or based on mere suspicion that they are up to no good, then the government would no doubt discover and arrest more terrorists.  But that probably would not be a country in which we would want to live.  And that would not be a country for which we could, in good conscience, ask our young people to fight and die.  In short, that would not be America.
—    Senator (former) Russ Feingold
The only “NO” vote against the original version of the Patriot Act
[And yet, this is the very America we have lived in for almost half a generation.
Almost two years ago, in May of 2011, President Obama signed a four year extension of the Patriot Act.  Let us hope that between now and 2015, Congress comes to its senses and repeals large portions of this Act.
—    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2012	Five Lost Wars
2011	Worth Fighting For
2010	Still Learnin’ Hard… 4th of July 2010

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Patriot Act

It is much more important to kill bad bills than to pass good ones.
—    Calvin Coolidge
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