Bush and the Patriot Act: Declaring War on Our Rights? Essay -- Septem

Bush and the Patriot Act: Declaring War on Our Rights?      Ã‚     When I decided to write this essay, I knew without hesitation that I would write about Washington's response to the terrorist attacks that struck New York and Washington. I did not realize how difficult such an undertaking would be, as I find myself in a somewhat an uncomfortable position. Forcing myself to confront the issues at hand means deciding which freedoms are acceptable casualties in this war and for whom.   To allow Attorney General Ashcroft to lead us into a new era of American justice that resembles McCarthyism or the internment of Japanese-Americans a half-century ago would be regrettable.      I do not mean to imply that the US response should be weak; to the contrary, I support an expansion of this effort into Iraq. I've always had a passion for government, ours in particular. The difficulty comes from choosing how to defend that government, as it is our secular and modern way of life that is under attack. And though quoting ancient Greek is clichà ©, I find the rule of law to be reassuringly passion-free and just. My support for the ACLU stretches back ten years, which is considerable as I am only twenty years old. I also strongly support strengthening our law enforcement and intelligence agencies. The inability of the FBI, CIA, Justice Department, INS or NSC to detect the terrorist attacks before they were executed was grossly delinquent; to borrow a phrase from The New York Times' Maureen Dowd. This breach in intelligence is even more shocking when the amount of money poured into national security annually is considered. That we need added protections in this time of national crisis is indisputable. However, the manner in which we defend our wa... ...et military tribunals] at my finger tips.viii" The White House's justification has been a mere declaration that the principles of law on rules of evidence are impracticable. This sort of explanation is hardly adequate. The Bushies' policies seem to be reverting to their "trust us" mantra. Congress needs to get the government back in check. Few congressmen have yet to challenge any legislation tied to terrorism for fear of political consequences. I predict, however, that the political consequences suffered will be far greater for those who remain too afraid to speak out against the President, than for those who defend the Constitution.    Sources    i (Segev, NYTimes) ii (ACLU report) iii (NYTimes 10/26, B1). iv (Levy, WSJ, 11/27). v   (NYTimes). vi (NYTimes 11/18. A1). vii (NYTimes 12/1, A1). viii (NYTimes 11/28, A25).