Opinion
 

Patriot Act: power of absolute corruption

By Paul Hensarling

The Patriot Act, made law with very little congressional debate and pushed upon the American people during the hysteria following 9/11, is not only unnecessary but also serves as a crack in America's foundation. It is as close to the oppressiveness of the former Soviet Union as we have ever been. It is of the same mentality that the Taliban, al-Qaida and even Saddam Hussein shared. Despite its name, in this brave new world of doublespeak, the Patriot Act is as unpatriotic as it gets.

This country has always prided itself on declaring its people innocent until proven guilty, yet the Patriot Act allows for the government to keep anyone deemed a "domestic terrorist" under surveillance and detain that person indefinitely for any reason the government sees as reasonable. Even worse, this can happen basically without any probable cause, according to set guidelines. The Patriot Act destroys that assertion of assumed innocence and creates the mindset that everyone is guilty.

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which was created in 1978, lets the FBI investigate and keep people suspected of being foreign spies under surveillance. Of course, there had to be probable cause for the label of "foreign spy." Now, under the Patriot Act, anyone can be put under surveillance for virtually any reason, including exercising First Amendment rights such as checking out a book from a library or visiting a particular Web site.

While the Patriot Act was created under the guise of protecting American citizens from terrorists, there are already laws and procedures in place to protect Americans from terrorists. More laws and procedures aimed at specifically targeting terrorists can be implemented without destroying the basic freedoms that have always defined America.

While the Patriot Act is currently being spun as being necessary to combat terrorism, it will undoubtedly be used in the future to quell all forms of free speech, most specifically political dissent. The whole idea of dissent, debate and compromise is the American way, and is guaranteed by the Constitution. The very idea of quashing dissent is itself un-American, but to make those dissenters enemies of the state is blatantly evil. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. 

The most liberal idea ever conceived by any society is the idea that people should be free and that government should be by the people, for the people. That our government rushed to get the Patriot Act implemented without any consideration or input from other Americans speaks volumes. Even politically conservative Americans and members of Congress have been quick to realize how un-American this piece of legislation truly is.

The Patriot Act should be repealed, as there are procedures and laws that are already in place or can be created to safeguard Americans from terrorists. 

Surveillance and security of our material infrastructure can and should be implemented. Foreign visitors should be screened. The destruction of the rights and freedoms of the common American citizen, however, is certainly not necessary.

Hensarling, a guest columnist for The Daily Cougar, 
can be reached at dccampus@mail.uh.edu.