The USA PATRIOT Act - a threat to civil liberties

1. Expanding domestic surveillance
2. Subjecting people to government investigation and even action based upon their thoughts (reading choices, for example)
3. Cloaking "law enforcement" activities in secrecy
4. Giving the U.S. attorney general additional authority to act without judicial supervision

* The PATRIOT Act, if enforced as written, would require city agencies to participate in violations of civil liberties, possibly in violation of the U.S. constitution

* The law was passed in a time or crisis with little debate and even less understanding of all its provisions

* In times of fear, the U.S. government has enacted laws and carried out policies in violation of civil liberties, only to regret it later (internment of Japanese during WWII; McCarthy era guilt-by-association; COINTELPRO, etc.)

* The true test of a society's commitment to human rights is when that society is subject to threats

* The PATRIOT Act is one of many recent government policies that run roughshod over the Bill of Rights

* Terrorists such as Osama Bin Laden don't have the power to take away our freedoms, but our own government may do so in the name of protecting us

* Many people think that expanded government powers are aimed at other groups (Moslems, Mexicans) but if we allow any group to be denied liberties we open the door to wider violations. Recall the Neibuhr quote: "... and when they came for me, there was no one left to protest."