“This Important Good Law”

“It was not desirable that the proles should have strong political feelings. All that was required of them was a primitive patriotism which could be appealed to whenever it was necessary to make them accept longer working-hours or shorter rations. And even when they became discontented, as they sometimes did, their discontent led nowhere, because being without general ideas, they could only focus it on petty specific grievances. The larger evils invariably escaped their notice.”

1984
- George Orwell


While most of America has been obsessing over the verdict of the Michael Jackson trial or the conversion of Katie Holmes to Scientology, our dear leader has been stumping at various events across the country urging lawmakers to make certain provisions of the Patriot Act permanent. He has called on them to disregard what he called “unfair criticisms of this important good law.”



Our Leader 

Traveling to various venues in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, including the National Counterterrorism Center in Tysons Corner, Virginia, Mr. Bush has thrown down the gauntlet to legislators saying, "The Patriot Act has not diminished American liberties. The Patriot Act has helped defend American liberties."

Some civil libertarians disagree, saying the act passed with little debate in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 left some disturbing questions about its constitutionality. Its critics contend that the act’s broad powers of search and detention violate the Fourth Amendment. Ramesh Ponnuru, writing in the conservative magazine National Review, concedes the law should not be made permanent: “Moreover, the civil libertarians make a reasonable demand when they ask that Patriot be subject to periodic re-authorizations, so that Congress can regularly consider making modifications.”


Watch, ride and report 

While there have been draconian laws passed in times of emergency and war in our nation’s past, they have usually been struck down rather quickly after the emergency has passed. Lincoln, for instance, suspended the Writ of Habeus Corpus during the Civil War until the Supreme Court intervened. Every governor has the right to declare martial law in the event of civil unrest, rebellion or imminent invasion.

It is the chilling words of Mr. Bush that concern me; “For the sake of our national security, the United States Congress needs to renew all the provisions of the Patriot Act and, this time, Congress needs to make those provisions permanent".


Secure beneath the watchful eyes 

“Permanent” seems, well, so permanent.