Show Patriot id Act Should Shi You worry Laree Mecham Mecha w It i Copy Editor oil ft The ruins of the World Trade Center were still smoldering smoldering dering when congress passed the USA Patriot Act in October of 2001 Representatives cast their votes votes' before most of them even read the page docu docu- ment Closer review of the act spawned bipartisan revolt over ove several controversial sections sections' Opponents claim the Patriot Act is unconstitutional unconstitutional t onal and violates civil rights statutes Some members of Congress who voted the act into law have since suggested suggest suggest- ed that portions should be repealed This election year accusations accusations accusations of unconstitutionality unconstitutionally and civil rights violations have stirred the debate even further These discussions will continue as Election Day approaches Parts of the approved law lawwill lawwill lawwill will sunset in 2005 unless proponents convince Congress to renew it In a recent recen radio address Bush said Some politicians in Washington act as if the threat to America will also expire on that schedule Because of the controversy sy Attorney General John Ashcroft launched a national tour last fall to rally support for the act He also set setup setup setup up a w vw berty gov on oh the Department of Justice DOJ DO homepage to respond to criticism and defend the Patriot Act When Ashcroft met to speak to an only invitation-only audience protesters gathered outside Concerned citizens and groups with agendas across across the political spectrum had one common goal Repeal the Patriot Act They say that patriot is a misnomer in this case One sign stated the motive for protests succinctly Resist UNpatriotic acts Ashcroft says the Patriot Act gives the government crucial crucial crucial cru cru- cru- cru cial tools to fight the war on terror at a minimal cost to civil liberties Opponents say the infringements on liberties are anything but minimal Sections of the document receiving the most negative attention include the authorization authorization authorization autho autho- of secret arrests and searches creation of a non- non criminal DNA database designation designation designation des des- ignation of suspicious citizens as enemy combatants revocation revocation revocation tion of visas or even citizenship citizenship citizenship citizen citizen- ship and deportation without a fair hearing The opposition is gaining support Three states and more than cities and towns have passed ordinances against the Patriot Act in some cases forbidding local enforcement These actions range across 37 states from small towns to the biggest cities in the country Many national organizations have adopted similar resolutions On November 9 2003 former former former for for- mer Vice President Al AI Gore accused the Bush administration tion of taking America down the road toward an intrusive big brother style govern govern- ment The American Civil Liberties Union has filed suits against certain provisions inthe in inthe inthe the act Ashcroft's on the DOJ homepage contains sections sections sections sec sec- labeled Dispelling Myths Responding to Congress and terror Anti Record Articles and speeches speech speech- es tout the benefits and successful successful successful suc suc- uses while a defensive posture rebuts complaints about the broad governmental powers authorized under the Patriot Act Specific references references references refer refer- include enhanced penalties for terrorist activities activities activities ties punishment for terrorist attacks on mass transit systems systems systems and terrorist bio attacks and updates to reflect new technologies and threats These measures may sound reasonable reasonable even even necessary Challengers say these tools were already available to the government but they required restrictions such as prudent judicial oversight speedy trials trials trials tri tri- als right to legal counsel right to privacy rights privacy rights which in some cases are lost with the passage of this act Federal and local officials already had the ability to share information information information tion but red tape and improper procedures sometimes resulted result result- ed in communication failures The DOJ confirms a portion of the complaint These delayed notification search warrants have been I used for decades have proven crucial in drug and organized crime cases and have been upheld by courts as fully con con- To critics adding terrorism terrorism terrorism terror ism to that class of crimes would seem a much less drastic drastic drastic dras dras- tic measure than those outlined outlined outlined out out- lined in the Patriot Act They say recent terrorist-related terrorist arrests and prosecutions cannot cannot cannot can can- not directly attribute their successes successes successes suc suc- to procedures authorized authorized authorized autho autho- by the act The Bush Administration denied rumors of a sequel to the Patriot Act until February 2003 when a draft of the Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003 was leaked to the press Dubbed the Patriot Act II this document document document docu docu- ment which has not been sub- sub See Patriot continued on page 7 Patriot continued from page 3 for approval would further expand DOJ's DODs enforcement powers and reduce even further the vital governmental checks and bal bal- bal bal- ances Dr David 9 Cole e a Georgetown Uni University Law said the secrecy and lies surrounding this new document are disturbing He reviewed the proposed billand billand bill billand and warned that it would radically expand law enforcement and intelligence gathering authorities reduce or eliminate judicial oversight over surveillance authorize secret arrests and create a aDNA aDNA aDNA DNA database based on unchecked executive suspicion suspicion suspicion cion For now Patriot Act II app appears ars to be in while support is garnered to retain the original Patriot Act The controversy is not likely to end soon The administration sug sug- even more governmental tal allowances are needed to strengthen the fight against terrorism while self pro claimed freedom fighters contend that the acts already require too many public concessions concessions concessions con con- cessions for too little tion They evoke Benjamin Franklins Franklin's statement to solid to solidify solid solid- their arg argument ment They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety |