It surprises me to see no comments for this article. The Patriot Act should be uppermost in our thoughts.

The wording of the original Patriot Act was covertly changed before being printed in the middle of the night and handed off to congressmen the next morning, still bleeding wet ink. The three-hundred-plus page bill was not read through by even one lawmaker, but was simply rubber-stamped that same day in the fearful, call-to-arms period just after 9/11.

Since then, there has been little questioning or demand for rescinding any of the more ominous provisions contained in the law. Now, this administration is asking--no, demanding--that not only this oppressive law be extended, but want to add to it even further erosion of our rights and liberties. And that's not enough power for them yet. Bush has asked for the augmented law to be made permanent!

If we're not outraged over this one, we are NOT paying attention.

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The Patriot act is similar to the Enabling Act passed during the Weimar Republic that allowed Hitler to take power. Take a lesson from history and totally reject this attempt to stifle democracy in the United States.

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Yup. They've got us running in circles believing everything on Fox. I just witnessed a story on CNN wherein they shamelessly pointed out that, strangely enough, NOBODY was making any money off the $2.60+ for a gallon of gas. The scary part was that this story was in response to public outcry after the big oil companies posted record profits. Let the public be assured that there's no price gouging going on. Sure, and any minute now, monkeys are gonna fly out of my...

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...eligible for the Death Penalty.

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The President takes office by swearing on a Bible to uphold the Constitution. This president has decimated the constitution. This president has fought to legalize torture (on foreigners so far).

Most people don't care about the constitution, "its all just politics" to them. Just like in the science vs "intelligent design" debate, a "debate" that would not exist if our schools where teaching students what science is and what it is not, our schools have failed to educate about our constitution and why it is important the way it is, what it stands for, and why it is important.

Why does history repeat itself, so we have to relive all the same lessons over and over again? Bad schools that are more concerned with making obedient consumers and worker bees rather than good citizens who are in charge of their country.

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Where were our Dem reps on this one? Disgusting ...

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So, since we can be sentenced to death for giving money to any organization that may kill (even if we don't know they will), where does that leave us with paying taxes here in the USA? Now we're damned if we do and damned if we don't. Might as well save our money. At least if we don't pay we will only end up destitute and imprisoned. If we do we could be sentenced to death!

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Standing up for your rights or on your knees begging for mercy?

Any questions about our rights will be moot upon the signing of the Patriots Act. The Patriots Act was an interim Constitution. Once the Patriots Act is officially signed into law the Constitution is no longer in effect. What that means is any violations to civil rights now protected under the Bill of Rights, freedom of speech, religion, voting, due process, equal protection, etc. are officially, legally nullified. Do not exist. Gone. There are no Bill of Rights in the new Constitution.

Any argument by any citizen claiming infringement on their rights will be answered with "You don't have any rights."

The Patriots Act will be the new law of the Land. Supreme Court decisions will be based on the Patriots Act and not the Constitution. Who is on the Supreme Court will be of little consequence. What we have here is a hostile take over of our government by corrupt politicians who all violated their promise to protect and defend our Constitution. By voting it out of existence, they breached their oath of office.

The only way to counter this attack on our democracy is to demand our Bill of Rights be signed into Law. A citizen can demand that their Congressperson present a Bill to Congress. Take a stand. Send the Bill of Rights to Congress. The Bill of Rights is available at
http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/ constitution.billofrights.html. I changed the word Amendment to Rights and sent the first 10 original Rights to Senator Boxer and Feinstein for signing. This supreme act of vigilance by the people to preserve and protect our Rights may be the last stand we will ever be able to take under this Constitution.
We are one step away from becoming a new nation with a new set of rules. Which set, Patriots Act or Bill of Rights will be decided in the next few days.

We must demand that before Congress votes on the Patriots Act taking away all our rights they must vote to make the Bill of Rights the Supreme Law of the land. It is a desperate move. And there is every possibility that Congress will ignore the demands. We are out of options. What is important is that for the record it can be shown who made the demand and who ignored it. I want to be remembered as one of the persons who took a stand for the Bill of Rights. Congress's legacy marks the end of democracy.

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