Yesterday, the Obama Administration expressed support for extending three key provisions of the Patriot Act set to expire this year.
These provisions allow the government to:
- Investigate business records. This means the feds can look at everything you buy. Credit card receipts, video rentals, on-line purchases, even library records. Everything!
- Set roving wiretaps. This allows the feds to monitor phones and computers without getting a warrant. The feds argue that terrorists change their phones a lot and they can't be bothered with getting a new warrant every time. Right.
- Keep after that "Lone Wolf". This allows the feds to monitor that stray terrorist that works by him/her self. What makes someone a potential "lone wolf" terrorist worthy of surveillance? I don't know. But think about this for a minute, it potentially could be anyone. Unlike the other two provisions, this one has never actually been used. Obama wants to keep it in the tool shed anyway.
It's really no surprise that Obama wants to keep the Patriot Act around. No one in goverment willingly gives up power and authority. It's just a shame to see the terrorism fear card still being played to further diminish our civil liberties.
The ACLU has been planning for this. Check out reformthepatriotact.org to get involved.
To read more about the Patriot Act, please click on the following icon. Contact info@mclu.org for a hard copy.
