Lawmakers urged to reject Patriot Act

It's time for the Bush-Cheney hidden agenda to come out of the closet where it will be seen for what it really is--warmongering

Official Wire.com | February 15 2005

If only George W. Bush and Company would offer Americans as much access into the Bush-Cheney 'secret government' and what is being done by these two men in their name, as they seek to gain into the private lives of U.S. citizens, it would not sting as much while the civil and legal rights once enjoyed are creatively eroded in the name of freedom.

At Monday's ceremonial swearing-in of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Bush repeated his desire for Congress to renew the USA Patriot Act. As it happens, parts of the so-called anti-terror law—enacted shortly after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, most of which was not read by (never mind debated by) members of Congress before being thrust upon a well-scared and gullible public—are set to expire at the end of this year. The Bush administration wants Congress to extend those portions and even hopes to expand on others.

Civil liberties groups and privacy advocates have condemned the law because they say it undermines freedom.

In response to Bush’s remarks yesterday, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), called on lawmakers to "thoroughly examine the Patriot Act’s effectiveness and its impact on our most fundamental freedoms."

Noting that Congress passed the Patriot Act hurriedly, just days after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the ACLU said the 'sunset clauses' written into the act for some of its most controversial provisions were meant to give lawmakers an opportunity to review them with hindsight.

The ACLU also called attention to the massive public resistance to the law since it took effect, illustrated, in part, by the 371 communities in 43 states that have passed resolutions in opposition to parts of the Act and reaffirming their commitment to civil liberties.

Bush has not chosen to deal honestly with the American people regarding his true agenda. Even a cursory inspection of the seemingly endless litany of lies credited to the Bush-Cheney presidency, reveals a dishonest president.

Because Bush has made clear his intention to veto any proposed amendment to the Patriot Act, it is time for U.S. lawmakers to reject the Act, allowing those portions to expire—before it's too late.