Bush Endorses Patriot Act… Again

From President Bush’s State of the Union address:

Inside the United States, where the war began, we must continue to give homeland security and law enforcement personnel every tool they need to defend us. And one of those essential tools is the PATRIOT Act, which allows federal law enforcement to better share information, to track terrorists, to disrupt their cells and to seize their assets. For years, we have used similar provisions to catch embezzlers and drug traffickers. If these methods are good for hunting criminals, they are even more important for hunting terrorists. Key provisions of the PATRIOT Act are set to expire next year. The terrorist threat will not expire on that schedule. Our law enforcement needs this vital legislation to protect our citizens – you need to renew the PATRIOT Act.

I really hope none of you out there are buying this. The fact is, you don’t have to be a foreign terrorist to have your life disrupted by this act. All they need is the signature of a judge, and your rights as an American citizen go out the window. The mindset of “Oh, well they’re using it to fight terrorists… I trust the government” is dangerous. Don’t be fooled by the name, the Patriot Act is nothing of the sort.