The Patriot Act

The Senate is still working on whether to pass some version or eliminate the Patriot Act that allows the NSA to monitor all of our telephone and Internet communications. Possibly violating the forth amendment. It’s a debate involving liberals, conservatives and libertarians and the rest of us whose privacy is in the breech.

Personally I don’t like the Patriot Act. I don’t like giving up a fright of freedom because of fear. So many have died for that right and I am sure they did so with the same kind of fear many worry about today that disrupts their perception of a peaceful life.

I understand why the Patriot Act came into being and why some think its perpetuation is necessary. I also understand why others think it’s an infringement on our constitutional rights.

Here’s what we need. Some trust that is apart of a free and open socity. Some suspicion. We also need active diligence and the technological superiority to ascertain a threat without having to sift through the words and phrase of American’s phone and Internet conversation of law-abiding citizens.

Our technology is sophisticated enough to discern the difference between threat and idle talk. Let us work on it and keep our freedoms rather than give them away because it’s easier.