'No' to Patriot Act

Renewing the Patriot Act for even one more day is a continued travesty for the American people -- patriots of a nation gone rabid by continued war. The 9-11 attacks mangled any hope of the American dream, as exemplified by the first-responder legislated reaction to unanimously support the further stripping of sacred liberties in the name of "necessity" and "national security." \nSimilar to the feelings of any sensible humane person, all necessary efforts to combat terrorism and protect American people should be undertaken by all law enforcement agencies assigned with the task. On the other hand, the American people need a two-pronged approach to the "War on Terror" that involves looking at themselves in the mirror. \nThe "War on Terror" will only be won when U.S. foreign policy asks for international input and heeds to international perceptions of justified force. Before the London bombings, the Madrid, Sept. 11, Al-Qaeda, bin Laden and the Taliban, negative international perceptions of U.S. foreign policy have transformed entire generations of worldwide youth to rise in opposition against Western institutions, the U.S. government and the American people. \nThe terrorists do not intend to scare or deceive -- they intend to murder innocent people until their voice is heard. Renewing the Patriot Act without assessing the success or failure of certain provisions and their effect is to scare the American public more than any terrorist bombing ever could.