Bush's Patriot Act Too Inefficient

[Don1]

Bush's Patriot Act that takes away our Constitutional rights of habeas corpus and expands the government's rights to unreasonable search and seizure is simply too inefficient.

According to Bush, federal agents have arrested 400 people due to Patriot Act provisions and more than half have been convicted. (Refrence: http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/06/09/bush.patriot/)
But what about the other 200 who are not convicted? We need to expand the Patriot Act to make their thoughts illegal, too. The next time you are speaking with the neo-conservatives make sure you mention that one.

BUT there's more. According to DOJ statistics from 2003, 2870 Muslim aliens were held in detention centers. (Reference: http://www.sen.ca.gov/sor/REPORTS/REPORTS_BY_SUBJ/GOVERNMENT/PATRIOT4-02.PDF) BUT getting back to Bush, only 400 people were charged with crimes under Patriot Act provisions. This means that less than 15% of those Muslims imprisoned were charged with Patriot Act crimes! What about the other 85%? Clearly, something has to be done about them not being charged but meanwhile languishing in prison for 2 years.

So here is another recommendation. For anyone not charged, allow Homeland Security to mistreat them by placing a hot crucible in nether regions until they confess of being a witch, err I mean terrorist. Note that this is NOT torture since torture is organ failure. (Reference: http://www.newyorker.com/talk/content/articles/050530ta_talk_hertzberg). For anyone admitting terrorism, get them to name the other 12 members in their sleeper coven, err I mean terrorist cell.

We also need special witnesses. Those who can see the terrorism by looking into people's eyes or examining their hands or by smelling their necks or checking if their names are Muhammed. I have heard that Ann Coulter knows how to do this, so we could really use her for the effort! (Reference: http://encyclopedia.lockergnome.com/i/b/Ann_Coulter)

After all is said and done, we will really be able to start arresting MANY more Americans for terrorism and crimes against the Patriot Act. And we can finally get back to being a FREE nation once again.

:patriot:

[cornermouse]

1. I've been waiting for them to declare a policy of pre-emptive arrests

It would go along so well with their pre-emptive war and pre-emptive nuclear attacks.

[Don1]

2. We Already Can

For all immigrants, this power rests solely with the Attorney General. Read Section 412 of the PA. Also, check the ca.gov link that I gave. It's long but worth it.

[DisassemblingHisLies]

3. Ah, yes. The Patriot Act brings back the witch hunts of the 1600's.

Happy days are here again.

Have We Learned the Lessons of Salem?

1. What are the lessons?

--Hysteria happens.

--Children (especially) can be influenced by suggestion and peer pressure to say things that are not true.

--We should be skeptical of confessions when the confessions are the result of torture or when the person has a self-interest in confessing.

--A "cooling off period" can sometimes prevent injustices.

--Trials should be fair: evidence introduced should be reliable, witnesses should be subject to cross-examination, defendants should have legal assistance and be allowed to testify on their own behalf, and judges should be unbiased.

2. Have we had "modern-day witch hunts"?

--McCarthy "Communist hunts" of early 1950s (event that inspired The Crucible)

--Day care abuse trials of 1980s (child witnesses, accusations multipy, people afraid to support accused, unbelievable charges, hysteria).

--To read about a modern-day trial with many parallels to the Salem Trials, see The McMartin Preschool Abuse Trial (the longest and most expensive criminal trial in American history).

http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/salemlessons.html

Needs to be updated to include the Patriot Act, as well as all historical information that reflects the rabid appetite for secrecy & control by this administration. Absolute power corrupts.