Passed by 98 votes to 1 in congress, the only member against the movement being Russ Fenigold of Wisconsin. The legislation is a maze, legible by only the best lawyers. Basically, it blurs the lines on treatment of detainees. It has led to many incidents of Bush strangling America's liberties: over 950 counts of false charges have been recorded under it, many relating to anti-Bush posters etc. It may not look bad but it will lead to the TIA (Terrorist Information Act), which will allow the government to monitor anything from our financial records to what we ate last night. It's like 1984. By the way, counted the number of American terrorist deaths in the past few years, excluding 9/11: ZERO.
Interviewer: Is "1984" what will happen in that year?
George Orwell: No, it's a warning. Don't let it happen.
Alas, it is the beginning of the end unless we vote the security hawks out.
George Orwell: No, it's a warning. Don't let it happen.
Alas, it is the beginning of the end unless we vote the security hawks out.
by Bob Johnson July 22, 2004
The "USA Patriot Act" stands for " Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism".
It is a document 342 pages in length with the first 6 pages being the index. The first line after the index is this:
SEC. 2. CONSTRUCTION; SEVERABILITY. Any provision of this Act held to be invalid or unenforceable by its terms, or as applied to any person or circumstance, shall be construed so as to give it the maximum effect permitted by law, unless such holding shall be one of utter invalidity or unenforceability, in which event such provision shall be deemed severable from this Act and shall not affect the remainder thereof or the application of such provision to other persons not similarly situated or to other, dissimilar circumstances.
(This amounts to saying that if this bill is a total crock of shit, with only one tiny detail being applicable, that shred will send you to the cooler pal!)
Like most bills which our senators and representative are "supposed" to read and understand prior to signing off, it could take a very long time to either agree or disagree with what's written. Thus we get this sort of bullshit shoved down our throats and up our asses on a continuous basis.
No doubt, this bill like many others was well intended, I hope, but has sweeping consequenses that only the best lawyers in the world will ever understand completely.
It is a document 342 pages in length with the first 6 pages being the index. The first line after the index is this:
SEC. 2. CONSTRUCTION; SEVERABILITY. Any provision of this Act held to be invalid or unenforceable by its terms, or as applied to any person or circumstance, shall be construed so as to give it the maximum effect permitted by law, unless such holding shall be one of utter invalidity or unenforceability, in which event such provision shall be deemed severable from this Act and shall not affect the remainder thereof or the application of such provision to other persons not similarly situated or to other, dissimilar circumstances.
(This amounts to saying that if this bill is a total crock of shit, with only one tiny detail being applicable, that shred will send you to the cooler pal!)
Like most bills which our senators and representative are "supposed" to read and understand prior to signing off, it could take a very long time to either agree or disagree with what's written. Thus we get this sort of bullshit shoved down our throats and up our asses on a continuous basis.
No doubt, this bill like many others was well intended, I hope, but has sweeping consequenses that only the best lawyers in the world will ever understand completely.
Hey Clyde! Watch out buddy, you just farted on US soil, you may be prosecutable under the USA Patriot Act!
by Ibinfarteen July 3, 2004
The legislation that was put into effect in the most immediate haste following September the 11th 2001. The bill gives the law and the federal government almost unlimited power over you. The Patriot act is also known as the raping of the Constitution.
Violates the Fourth Amendment, which says the government cannot conduct a search without obtaining a warrant and showing probable cause to believe that the person has committed or will commit a crime.
Violates the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech by prohibiting the recipients of search orders from telling others about those orders, even where there is no real need for secrecy.
Violates the First Amendment by effectively authorizing the FBI to launch investigations of American citizens in part for exercising their freedom of speech.
Violates the Fourth Amendment by failing to provide notice - even after the fact - to persons whose privacy has been compromised. Notice is also a key element of due process, which is guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment.
Records searches. It expands the government's ability to look at records on an individual's activity being held by a third parties. (Section 215)
Secret searches. It expands the government's ability to search private property without notice to the owner. (Section 213)
Intelligence searches. It expands a narrow exception to the Fourth Amendment that had been created for the collection of foreign intelligence information (Section 218).
"Trap and trace" searches. It expands another Fourth Amendment exception for spying that collects "addressing" information about the origin and destination of communications, as opposed to the content (Section 214).
Violates the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech by prohibiting the recipients of search orders from telling others about those orders, even where there is no real need for secrecy.
Violates the First Amendment by effectively authorizing the FBI to launch investigations of American citizens in part for exercising their freedom of speech.
Violates the Fourth Amendment by failing to provide notice - even after the fact - to persons whose privacy has been compromised. Notice is also a key element of due process, which is guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment.
Records searches. It expands the government's ability to look at records on an individual's activity being held by a third parties. (Section 215)
Secret searches. It expands the government's ability to search private property without notice to the owner. (Section 213)
Intelligence searches. It expands a narrow exception to the Fourth Amendment that had been created for the collection of foreign intelligence information (Section 218).
"Trap and trace" searches. It expands another Fourth Amendment exception for spying that collects "addressing" information about the origin and destination of communications, as opposed to the content (Section 214).
by ryan gilr0y October 1, 2004
1. A whole bunch of words that will slowly change an already disfunctional democracy into a completely functional dictatorship or oligarchy.
2. A few papers that could ruin your life.
2. A few papers that could ruin your life.
by Über-liberal August 19, 2005
A kneejerk response to word9/11/word that has the Founding Fathers spinning in their graves. The single greatest advancement of fascism in United States history, and it's only the beginning...
by Ninja Disaster July 2, 2003
An excuse for George W. Bush (you might want to look him up) to enslave every man, woman, and child AND for him to shed up what is left of the Constitution.
And the Patriot act is supposed to prevent terrorists from killing people to take our freedom. Well, after this how much freedom will we have left?
by weirdgirl September 9, 2003
One of the foremost proofs that the United States of America is the most hypocritical nation in the entire world.
Also an attempt on the US Government's part to destroy as much of the Bill of Rights as is humanly possible without everyone noticing.
Also an attempt on the US Government's part to destroy as much of the Bill of Rights as is humanly possible without everyone noticing.
The Patriot Act is a good example of how the USA is well on its way to becoming a police state. We're already a bureaucracy, we may as well take the leap.
by Nemuko May 10, 2003