How Has The Patriot Act Affected You?

Remember guys - if it hasn't personally affected you or someone you know, it's no problem!

It hasn't that I know of other than eroding my freedom a bit probably just a little foothold.However planting a seed this morning doen't mean you'll have the tree tonight does it?Are you really that scared of a terrorist that your willing to giveup your freedoms?

Originally posted by tide88
I am constantly hearing about how the Patriot Act has taken away all of our freedoms, that now we have no privacy and the government is watching our everymove. My question is, How has the patriot act directly affected you? Or even anyone that you know. It has not affected me directly in any way. Nor has it affected anyone that I know. And I am talking Directly Affecting you or someone you know. Not the government can spy on me crap.

It has directly affected me thusly:

1) The government now thinks it is above the law, and above the enumerations placed on it by the Constitution. It has directly affected my RIGHT to go about my business in private, without governmental interference or monitoring.

2) The Patriot Act now grants the government a power it did not have before. The ability to hold me indefinitely without trial, as an american citizen, if they classify me as a "terrorist". CAN YOU NAME ME A SINGLE TIME IN THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF THE HUMAN RACE WHERE THIS POWER WAS NOT BLATANTLY, REPEATEDLY, AND CONTINUALLY ABUSED WHEN ALLOWED?

3) Searches, seizures, and wiretaps are no longer under the "impartial" judgment of a judge, but under the very people who believe you guilty of a crime to begin with. Do you see the inherent flaw in that system?

4) Motivation in a crime now becomes the determining factor in how you are handled, rather than the crime itself. Oh, you killed a guy for no reason? Simple murder. You killed a guy over politics? TERRORIST! How long before terrorism is "dumbed down" to things that aren't even remotely "terroristic" in nature? Here's a hint.... they are already targeting PETA.

Is that enough, or should I go on?

Edit to add: Name me a single instance of terrorism that this act have prevented.

[edit on 5-8-2008 by sir_chancealot]