Defending the Truth

You can read it, and re-read it, and read it once more, it does not change the fact that it proves nothing, and is nothing but rhetoric. How does this prove that the Patriot Act is effective? Like I said before, we need to sacrifice our rights to get agencies to share info? Sounds like the correct solution would be to get some training, and start firing a lot of people, starting at the top and working down the chain until they figure it out. Punishing the American people for safety is idiotic and unconstitutional. Benjamin Franklin once said " He who would sacrifice freedom for safety deserves neither freedom nor safety."

Wow, you said "We may be violating his rights but we could also be saving many innocent countless lives in the process." So in other words, it's ok to violate a person so long as someone else could possibly be saved... By that reasoning I should be allowed to rape your mom in the back room of your house, because by keeping her off the streets, I could be saving untold numbers of people from the very real possibility of her getting into an auto accident. Who cares if I am violating her rights? I could be saving Americans!

"If the Patriot act means questioning a hundred so called terrorist I am for it, if it even saves ‘just one’ American life." What if these "terrorists" are American also? So the mere accusation of being a terrorist eliminates the rights granted to you under our constitution? Then fine, I am a U.S. Government official, and I have as much authority as the next guy, so I declare YOU a terrorist... I assume that you will now go to the nearest police station and turn yourself in for 'questioning'. You seem to be so eager to subject others to this treatment, I am certain that you will go through it yourself eagerly and with zeal right?

The scenarios I posed above are everybit as ridiculous (if not substantially less) then your entire statement.

It seems you my friend, are the only person in this thread who understands why we all joined the military, and what we are actually here fighting for. I sacrificed my freedom so you all can have yours. If you people are so ready and willing to surrender that freedom, I might as well just go the hell home and masturbate until the Bush Administration's gestapo comes to collect me for interrogation.

I can't help but notice that the two biggest conservatives in this thread, are also the two youngest people in the thread. I wish I still had that kind of faith in the system, it's cute to see it in others. But as time goes on and you get more and more life experience, you will begin to see things are not nearly as idealistic as nebraskaboy and RHS would seem to think.

Why are the young always so eager to surrender their rights to whoever is willing to take them?

Well, if you think about it you get your rights violated everytime you goto the airport but you go along with it to assure your safety and that of everyone else.

No I go along with it because I have no choice. But that is why I choose trains or driving over flight whenever possible now. If you honestly believe that the harrassment they are subjecting people to at Airports does anything to keep anyone safe you are very fooliosh and idealistic. The fact of the matter is that all TSA is providing is the illusion of safety. There are regular news reports where reporters have successfully gotten weapons on planes. It is easier at this point to get a gun onto a plane than it is to get nail-clippers. Is that safety? The fact of the matter is, that if someone wants to destroy something badly enough, they are going to do it and there is nothing we can do to prevent it. But we have to give the image of doing something, so we harass innocent people.

Do you really think Al-Qaeda is still drawing up Airplane plans? No. That'd be stupid. They were drawing up train plans, next maybe it'll be a ship or a blimp, or 2 gerbils and a tricycle, who the hell knows. But the point is that these people are intelligent, dedicated and patient, a very dangerous combination which is extremely rare, especially in the U.S. The American people are lemmings, just eagerly jumping off whatever cliff the administration directs them to. It's a shame.

Well, there has been a few reports of people getting caught on planes with weapons since 911. So I believe they are doing a half way decent job. I may not be like most Americans but if being randomly searched means protecting innocent civilians im fine with it. I have been to the airport 3 times in the past year and two of the three times I was called of for a random search.

I doubt that the terrorist are actually ignorant enough to attempt another 911, but you can never let your guard down. I do believe that we need to increase security on our public transportation, that will be their next target. You are right that these people are greatly intellegent, that is what makes them so terrifying.

I sure have posted this before because it's a good point. What about the left whining about the Patriot Act, again and again? I am trying to defend the Patriot Act whenever it is brought up and the response given to those who oppose say pretty much the same thing, "it violates our rights and you are idiotic".

That was easy.

That's a good point you brought up Nebraskaboy. I was randomly searched before the flight to Italy, and on the way back. After the search, the cops asked how the vacation was, the food, and then mentioned that they do these random searches just for everyones safety. It makes me feel safer when I board onto a plane and I thank them for that.

Yes but you keep getting the same response because you keep posting the same tired, meaningless article! How about instead of defending a peice of legislation you try defending people's rights and freedoms? Thats the problem with republicans, they all too often find themselves defending the wrong things.

I think it's hillarious that you feel safer and thank someone for violating your rights. That is exactly what is wrong with so many of America's youth. For the record, you are no safer then you were before...

Democrats are not guilty when it comes to defending freedoms??

um...taxes

Just one question, is their not one thing you agree with in the Patriot Act? This is the problem with debates between the left and the right, it's either "Yes i'm for it and you're wrong" or, "No i'm not for it and you're wrong".

Why not come to an agreement by debating everything about the Patriot Act to see what needs reform, and what can stay?? That seems more logic to me.

No. I do not know of a single peice of the Patriot Act I agree with. I think I have demonstrated by now that I am pretty good at pointing out when I agree with part of something, and when I hear a good well written well thought out argument, I am likely to change my mind. The problem is that the Patriot Act is a huge heap of hot garbage, and Republicans keep singing about how wonderful it is to have our civil rights violated, and how much safer we are. Fuck that, I'd rather have freedom and have to deal with the threat of terrorists.

I think it's really funny that someone in Nebraska feels as if he's in so much danger...