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The USA PATRIOT Act. By: Nick Pollio. Patriot. “one who loves his or her country and supports its authority and interests”. Question : Is the USA PATRIOT Act “patriotic”? Is it in our interests?. USA PATRIOT Act. Stands for : - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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THE USA PATRIOT ACTBy: Nick Pollio
PATRIOT “one who loves his or her country and supports its authority and interests”Question:Is the USA PATRIOT Act “patriotic”?Is it in our interests?
USA PATRIOT ACT Stands for:“Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism”
USA PATRIOT ACT What is the purpose of the act?
PATRIOT FACTS Signed into law on October 26, 2001
(45 days after 9/11/2001)
Overwhelmingly passed and bi-partisan
(98 to 1 in Senate (357 to 66 in House)
342 pages long
PATRIOT FACTS Changes a dozen laws
Reads like a computer manual
“Wrong bill” (changed before the vote)
No conference report
PATRIOT BENEFITS• sharing of information between
government agencies • including FBI• CIA, local law enforcement• and immigration
PATRIOT BENEFITS Easier to “connect
the dots”
information about potential terrorist threats
PATRIOT BENEFITS Increases funding to
patrol and secure… Northern border of the
United States
PATRIOT BENEFITS Permits rewards to
combat terrorism provides funding for
training of firefighters
and for other first responders
PATRIOT BENEFITS Increases ability
to intercept terror plans
PATRIOT FEARS Gives access to…
PATRIOT FEARS… like buying a book from Amazon.com?
PATRIOT FEARSMust have "A significant purpose”
PATRIOT FEARS Intended for use in non-terrorist
crimes. Against American citizens
PATRIOT FEARS• Forbids librarians and business
owners• Also employees from informing
people• That their records have been
seized
PATRIOT FEARSAllows…
PATRIOT FEARSPermits (“sneak and peak warrants”)
PATRIOT FEARSPermits…
PATRIOT FEARSAllows…
PATRIOT FEARSCreates “domestic terrorism”
PATRIOT REALITIES No one outside of Justice Dept.
knows how it is really being used
Vigorously defended by Attorney General
PATRIOT REALITIES Website claims great successes
(www.lifeandliberty.gov)
Justice Dept. report provides some evidence (July 2004 -- Report from the Field: The USA PATRIOT Act at Work)
http://www.epic.org/privacy/terrorism/usapatriot/doj_report.pdf
PATRIOT REALITIES Being used for non-terrorist crimes againstAmericans
Settle down!
PATRIOT REALITIES Law enforcement mislead FISA
Court at least 75 times
Law enforcement visiting libraries
Law enforcement monitoring, spying on, infiltrating peace groups
PATRIOT BACKLASH 389 towns and counties and 7
states passed resolutions to modify law (62 million Americans)
National League of Cities passed resolution to modify law (245 million Americans)
PATRIOT BACKLASH House voted 309-118 to
withdraw funding for “sneak and peak” warrants (9-4 in NC)
Sanders-Paul-Conyers-Otter-Nadler Amendment to 2005 spending bill defeated in tie (210-210)***
*** original vote was 219-201 to pass bill
PATRIOT BACKLASH SAFE Act supported by a
diverse group of liberal and conservative groups (ACLU, ACU, ALA, GOA)
Major conservatives against law (Bob Barr, Dick Armey, Pat Buchanan, Newt Gingrich)
PATRIOT BACKLASH 95% of criminal justice experts
say law passed too quickly
74% say law threatens civil liberties
68% believe that existing laws could be leveraged to protect the nation from terrorism
PATRIOT BACKLASH Federal Judge Audrey Collins
declared Section 805 unconstitutional (Jan. 23, 2004)
Federal Judge Victor Marrero declared Section 505 unconstitutional (Sept. 29, 2004)
PATRIOT BACKLASH Federal Judge Audrey Collins
declared Section 805 unconstitutional again! (Jul. 29, 2005)
Judge Janet Hall lifted a gag order that had been imposed on a librarian by the FBI under the USA PATRIOT Act. (September 9, 2005)
US Chamber of Commerce wrote letter to Senate Judiciary Committee to revise Sections 215 and 505 (October 4, 2005)
A FINAL THOUGHT …“They that can give up essential liberty
to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety”