After studying the USA Patriot Act for the last year and looking at the impact that it's had on the lives on everyday Americans, I have concluded that some of my earlier opinions about the Act were incorrect.
I now think that the Act should be renewed for another two years "as is" with a couple of amendments.
The reasons for this change in position are twofold:
Has anyone checked the calendar to see when was the last time al-Qaeda hit the continental U.S.? It was on 9/11, wasn't it?
Has anyone noticed a change in their day-to-day activities and freedoms because of the Patriot Act?
Muslims might answer 'yes', but what about the 99% of the rest of America? Most would say 'no' unless they're doing something illegal.
Having said that, we should be concerned about the government following the rule of law, so there should be some additions to the Patriot Act that restrict the actions of the government. Namely, ALL wiretaps need to have the permission of a court, OR they need to report it to the court afterwards if it's an emergency (they have to prove to the court that it IS an emergency too). Presidential "authority" to order wiretaps without reporting it to the court should be banned.
The application of the Patriot Act in the cases of people pointing lasers into airline cockpits to blind the pilots was wrong; existing laws carried heavier penalties than the Patriot Act did. Misapplication of the Patriot Act is a problem and that should be addressed by Congress after the New Year.
Finally, they should rename the Act. "Patriot Act" sounds like something to honor patriotic Americans, not stop terrorists.
That's where it stands.
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