Attorney General John Ashcroft demanded last spring that a curtain be erected to hide the statue of the Lady Justice because her exposed breast offended him. The covering up of justice has become a metaphor for the administration. In the weeks following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the FBI secretly detained 1,147 people. Seeking to legally justify their blatant disregard for civil liberty, federal officials coughed up the USA Patriot act.
USA Patriot stands for “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism.” It terminates all the rights of the accused that Americans have long appreciated. It also veils in secrecy, all aspects of any investigation.
Justice Department officials had long been waiting for the opportunity presented by the aftermath of an event like Sept. 11.
The act was not thought up on the spot; it had been waiting in the wings for decades. It was their big chance to exterminate all those pesky constitutional rights that had been hindering their ability to bust people for years.
Contrary to what was initially reported when the act was passed, suspicion of terrorism need not be present. The wording of the act leaves enormous loopholes and infinite possibilities for permanent sidestepping of constitutional rights. The powers granted may eventually extend into any criminal investigation.
A “sunset provision” was included that voids most of the powers after four years. But a continuing threat of terrorism will mean a renewing of these powers.
The most frightening aspect is that passing this legislation was not necessary for the benefit of those investigating terrorism.
Government officials always had the power to suspend an individual’s constitutional rights if they were deemed a threat to national security.
Judges have not been refusing requests for surveillance, or hindering intelligence gathering activities in any way. Between 1996 and 2000, out of 4,275 warrants requested by federal investigators gathering intelligence on suspected foreign or terrorist operatives, all 4,275 were granted (“USA Patriot act and the Department of Justice: Losing Our Balances?” Jurist 12/03/2001).
The necessary tools needed to investigate terrorism were already there. Terrorism suspects were not being let off on technicalities.
Not everybody has taken it lying down. This summer Ann Arbor, MI, Berkley, CA, Denver, CO, Boulder, CO, Carrboro, NC, and the Massachusetts cities of Cambridge, Amherst, Northampton, and Leverett, all passed resolutions that claim The Patriot act threatens the civil liberties of their residents (“Patriot Revolution?” ABCNews.com 7/01/2002).
The reaction to the terrorism is more dangerous to democracy than the terrorism itself.
The USA Patriot Act preys on the public insecurity felt after devastating attacks on America. This is the act of a regime bent on total control. It uses fear as an asset to buy the submission of citizens.