By Dan Lenard
Buffalo, NY – Two weeks ago, Attorney General John Ashcroft paid a visit to our fair city to give a pep talk to the local law enforcement community. It is these fine people who are on the front lines of enforcing the Patriot act. From what I've been hearing and reading, I think they could use some encouragement. Coming from the anti-Bush/Ashcroft crowd has been an unceasing, malicious, fear-mongering litany of lies and distortions. From what I understand these folks to be saying, Gestapo like storm troopers are marching down Sheridan Drive, grabbing anyone who looks Arabic and dragging them off to some gulag, never to be seen again.
Who among those expressing outrage at this legislation have actually read it? I took the time, and all I saw over its 342 pages were amendments to existing laws giving law enforcement officials a wider range of areas to investigate and broader definitions of electronic communications. Those areas are strictly limited to investigations of terrorism. All surveillance under this act still requires a warrant issued by a judge! There are proposals for issuing what are called administrative supeonas, which do not require a judge to sign off on, but there is already legal precedent for such action. Despite the angry rhetoric to the contrary, No one is doing anything that is violating the IV amendment to the Constitution. Anyone who tells you that your rights are being violated is spewing political propaganda meant to make you think we are becoming a police state.
Then on top of that, there is the demonization of John Ashcroft. Legally, the voices of opposition have no leg to stand on, so therefore they are portraying Ashcroft as boogyman prying into every American's personal affairs. It's as if they think Ashcroft is more dangerous than the terrorists. This is a classic "Borking."
Those opposing the implementation of the Patriot Act also avoid mentioning that it was approved of in bi-partisan fashion and that both Democratic Senators from New York State voted for it. The vote in the Senate was 99-1.
We are at war. We have an enemy in our midst. They popped up right here in Lackawanna. This enemy is deadly, and intent on destroying our way of life by taking advantage of the freedoms we enjoy. The Patriot Act allows law enforcement officials the ability to more closely monitor those who have drawn attention to themselves by their activities.
If you are not donating to charities that have been placed on the list of those supporting terror, what's your beef? If you're a foreign national, here legally, with your papers in order, you have little to fear. If your not hanging out with people who openly preach hate of America and death to Americans, what's your problem?
Granted, the Patriot Act has brought headaches to the financial industry with added mountains of paperwork. However, it is all designed to intimidate and stop those who would abuse our financial system to help finance terrorism. I think it is a small price to pay for domestic security.
My rights are precious to me. If I thought that my rights were being severely curtailed by the Patriot Act, I'd be the first one in front of the Lincoln Memorial chanting We Shall Overcome!
Instead of screaming the sky is falling, take the time to read the Patriot Act. Just look on the internet. Type Patriot Act in your search engine and take your pick of sights that either explain it or trash it. I feel neither threatened nor imposed upon by these new regulations. I've taken the time to examine the details. I know and understand why they were enacted. I feel safer knowing someone is actually defending our country and not apologizing for it.