Patriot Act... my ass

Since I've been finding myself bitching about things like the Patriot Act lately, I thought maybe I should practice what I preach and read the thing. I learned several things and was reminded of others...

First off, reading laws is pretty boring. No, it's really boring. I knew this before, but now it's been refreshed for me. It's hard to believe that half a bill that was signed into law did nothing more than ammend a previous law with things like, "Section 2516(1)(c) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking `and section 1341 (relating to mail fraud),' and inserting `section 1341 (relating to mail fraud), a felony violation of section 1030 (relating to computer fraud and abuse),'" and "CONFORMING AMENDMENT- Rule 6(e)(3)(D) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure is amended by striking `(e)(3)(C)(i)' and inserting `(e)(3)(C)(i)(I)'." Hard to believe but true.

Also, it's amazing that it is often the smallest of words or phrases that can have the farthest reaching effects on our society. The perfect example is Title IX, that little add on to a big ole bill that changed the face of college sports, but that's another subject. Anyway, if you were to read the Patriot Act and not fall asleep, you might not even notice some of the small things that make it so nefarious. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean they aren't there.

Suffice it to say that since I have now read the whole damn thing, I'm still convinced that this Act is pretty far from patriotic and it needs to be put to sleep.

If you believe that the FBI should be able to enter your home, take items and not have to tell you -- all without ever having to acquire a warrant through normal channels, then you should support renewing the Patriot Act. Also, if you think that a librarian should be sent to prison for telling her husband over dinner that the weirdest thing happened at work today, the FBI came in and ordered her to turn over a list of all the books someone had checked out -- then the Patriot Act is for you.

If you don't believe that both of those things can happen, then you should read the law. If you are wondering what you can do about it, go to checksandbalances.org and see if you agree. And for all my Conservative friends... it's actually a Conservative organization supported by some pretty Conservative folk... Trust me, it won't hurt you. There's also a link to the actual Act if you've been having trouble sleeping and the pills aren't working, or if you just happen to be curious.