Since 9/11 happened, Big Brother has been a reality for the most part. Customs can now seize your laptop at airports with no cause and don't have to give it back in any set amount of time, no questions asked. Unlimited wire-tapping has been happening, and it's proven that the government is not just spying on terror suspects but on everyone. More of our civil liberties disappear every second.

I think Wiseguy nailed it, other than a few inconviences I don't think we have lost much of anything. With the way people act nowadays, we probably could do without a few others, let the funny votes fly.

Whatever your opinion of Bush (mine ain't high) or how much you trust him (I don't trust politicians in general) there will come a time when he is no longer president, and the Patriot Act may still be in place. Do the people on this web-site who have undying faith and trust in the current administration feel comfortable if an administration they distrust and dislike (like Bill Clinton's for example, or Barack Obama's for another) comes to power and starts looking at the myriad possibilities of the Patriot Act?

Other than the usual inconvenience at the airport, whom among us has noticed a “loss” of liberties”? Right after 911, all you cry babies were begging for protection, well…you got it.

WE Already lost our rights

The patriot act is frightening, terrifying in fact, it gives way to much power to the police and the FBI. Besides the FBI has a great history of doing what it wants anyway (Hoover anyone?) To give them this much power and unaccountabilty is the first step towards a police state. Does anyone on this site have absoloute trust in their law enforcement agency? Do you really want them to be able to hold anyone for an indefinite period of time for no reason? They say the true test of a nations freedoms is whether in a time of crisis they will remain free, it appears to me America has failed that test like so many before it.

Protecting civil liberties is a large part of what makes democracy democracy, of course a government has the responsibility to protect its citizens, but not create something like this act.... being opposed to civil liberties is pretty fascistic...I'm waiting for General Urko from Beneath the Planet of the Apes to log in and type "The only good human is a dead human..."

GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME YOU DAMN DIRTY APES!

Sorry, it's irrelevant, but I had to say that...

What good are civil liberties for, in a country where there is no control over who does what against innocent and unarmed citizens? We are safe today and will continue to be so as long as our government takes the necessary measures to guarantee our freedom and safety. If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.

The Patriot Act is scary. We are not far from living in a police state. But why are our water supplies etc sitting like ducks?

If the Democrats have such a problem with the Patriot Act, why do they not try and repeal it? Instead of the same old liberal talking points, "Bush lied, Bush lied," how bout bringing up some better ideas to keep us safe. The Patriot Act and the International wire taps are obviously working, we have not had a terrorists event since 9/11.

Clearly the Bush attacks on civil liberties are the worst results.

It hasn't been the loss of civil liberties that has been disheartening (or pronounced, in my view); it has been the attack on civil liberties, which are really at the heart of the U.S. way of life, that I find so distressing.

A happy medium has to be drawn in civil liberties. You can't take it too far.

The Patriot Act is really the Big Brother Act in disguise. When I hear that 3 million immigrants are crossing over into the U.S. illegally, yet my phone calls overseas (heck, maybe even within the country) could be tapped without authorization, it makes me want to pack my bags and get out of the country for good.
I have no problems with enhanced security at airports. Airports should have always been secure--even before 9/11. What I have a problem with is selective enforcement. I've seen 18 year old college girls "randomly" plucked from security lines for extra screening, yet I got through the security gate with a screwdriver in my carry on bag (I had no idea the screwdriver was there until I got home).
I've seen elderly men plucked from the line for screening, yet men of Middle Eastern descent have attempted to SKIP THROUGH-I witnessed this at the Vegas airport. Two men cut through the line, bypassed the gate and other passengers in the line had to yell out to have them stopped.
The screeners had no idea what was happening. Selective enforcement. Full of red tape. The Patriot Act must be abolished.

i say we have lodt a lot of our civil liberties and the fact that the goverment can be watching what i am typing right now is a scarry thought

i was reading irishgit's comments and i agree, it reminded me of when i studied FDR back in the day and one of the major criticisms people had was he was taking so many liberties and opening up the way for a predecesor without the countries best interestes in mind to come in and have a lot more power than previous presidents.

I keep hearing on here what Civil Liberties have we lost? The answer most come up with is none. I find that sad. No one on here has mentioned the people that have been held, as a result of the Patriot Act, with no recourse to a lawyer, nor to anyone else. Because of the Patriot Act, if the government thinks you are guilty of consorting with the enemy, they can hold you, without charge, wherever they like, without notifying anyone, nor letting you talk to anyone. The Supreme Court has ruled that at least this part is unconstitutional, without ruling on the rest of it. (I'm no expert, but I'm sure you can find it online.) I find the following quote best describes the situation, IMHO. They came for the Jews, and I said nothing, for I am not a Jew. They came for the Liberals, and I said nothing, for I am not a Liberal. Then they came for me, and I said nothing, for there was no one left to hear. I know I butchered the quote, but if you know the original, you know what I mean. The erosion of Civil Liberties starts small, and picks up steam. To ignore it now, because it doesn't affect you, is to risk no being able to beat it later.

It will only continue in this direction. This president has more 'power' than any other before him.

I find this hysteria regarding the Patriot Act to be sheer hyperbolism born of ignorance. Elections protect freedom people NOT the courts nor some procedural rights abitrarily manufactured or capriciously removed by the black robed despots sitting on the bench. The Patriot Act was passed to perform particular functions through the PROPER democratic process BY OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS. If we don't like provisions, we should lobby our government, petition congress, work through lobby groups amongst numerous other popular constitutional processes to formulate liberty. In the end if we really don't like the law elect officials that will repeal it in total. If the act is effective and power isn't being exercised in an egregious manner within the provisions then we should keep it. From what I see numerous arrests utilizing the new provisions have led kept hundreds of terrorists in Buffalo, New Jersey, Chicago and Florida just to name a few places- from carrying out their nefarious plans. There have been no lawsuits filed claiming the federal government has overstepped it's authority when utilizing these new tools. Those of you arguing against this act are seemingly making the argument that if we have any new legal procedures that stregthen the investigative process on terrorist activities it's impossible to do so with trampling law abiding American citizen's rights- that is just absolutely foolish. It's like saying because we've passed RICO statutes to investigate organized crime syndicates we've lost liberties- we haven't. They've brought down vast organized crime families, cartels and groups while leaving the rest of us untouched. And if we do in some way find certain provisions to be written in a manner that allows to much investigative authority we can deal with it through the process of elections- that's how freedom is protected- that's what liberty is all about. I mean what the hell is the constitutional argument against the Patriot Act? The fouth amendment protects against unreasonable search and seizures without probable cause. The Patriot Act's provisions all necessitate additional warrants to be procured for the new provisions to be exercised- just like with the RICO statutes. This isn't about who's in office. This is a constitutional act written to address a certainly justifiable task through a devolved process. If anything it's working perfectly- we haven't had a terrorist act on our soil since it was passed! If it isn't or when it stops then lobby your government, donate money to lobby organizations that will fight for it's repeal but don't make the blanket assertion that it's POSSIBLY some grave threat in the future. It hasn't proven to be so and if it does it can be changed- unlike law written from the bench.

Perhaps the most typical example liberals use as proof that the Bush Adminstration is removing civil liberties is the Patriot Act. What so many liberals seem to forget is that it was passed almost unanimously with a vote in the Senate of 98 to 1 and 357 to 66 in the House; according to my math that means most Democrats voted for it, too. I believe it was the Democratic Senator Joe Biden who said it best during a debate about the Act, ...the FBI could get a wiretap to investigate the mafia, but they could not get one to investigate terrorists. To put it bluntly, that was crazy! Liberals also seem to forget that the Patriot Act enabled law enforcement to use high tech means to identify and locate the killers of WSJ reporter Daniel Pearl. What also apparently escapes thier memory is that the Act does NOT change the standards regulating the availability of a search warrent. Prior to the Act's passing, officials needed to get a search warrent in the district they intended to conduct a search; but because terrorism investigations typically crosses over multiple districts it takes officials a longer time to get a warrent for EVERY SINGLE district that the investigation has spanned. The Patriot Act simply provided that warrents could be obtained in any district where terrorism-related activities occured. Thus, removing unnecessary delays in prosecuting terrorists. Another thing that liberals magically forget is that the Act helped to increase the penalites for those who commit terrorist crimes such as harboring terrorists, punishing bioterrorists, strengthened the maximum penalty's for various crimes often committed by terrorists, eliminates the statutes of limitations for cetain terrorism crimes and enhanced a number of conspiracy penalty's. It's funny how many things liberals forget...isn't it?

The first step is spreading fear amongst the masses. . .that makes things like the Patriot Act (ironic name if there ever was one) possible. People would rather feel safe than defend the liberties of others. That's not what America was founded on. We get whatever we deserve.

I will say this much. There are only two measurable civil liberties that have changed for me since 9-11. I know that I just one citizen so do not think I am trying to represent the loss of liberties of the entire nation. Having said that, here they are. One, I work for a state school and I have to change my computer password every 45 days because of the Homeland Security Act. Two, I had to take my shoes off at the airport. These are the only two (that I can think of) ways that the 9-11 attacks and the subsequent war on terror have affected me personally and I can say conclusively that I would have given up far more if I thought it was necessary to make the changes in safety here and the changes in the liberties that the Iraqi's have received since 9-11.

I don't see any appreciable loss of civil liberties but fortunately, for you more hysterical raters, free speech appears to be pretty well protected. During WWII, when FDR rounded up thousands of Americans of Japanese and German descent and immigrants and interned them into concentration camps, those people lost some civil liberties. Might I remind the Chicken Littles who seem to populate this list, the country survived that overreaction to the threat of danger and the racial and lineage-based profiling that this country was clearly guilty of. If you want to get back to normal in this country, get busy assisting in the war against islamofascist terrorists. Until that threat is removed, the majority of Americans expect their country to protect them from a dangerous and threatening enemy. They walk among us, just as they did on September 10th, 2001, and they are just as dangerous today as they were then, not because of the war in Iraq but because they have stated so, prior to 9/11/01 and since.

We are attacking the constitution and bill of rights just as much as we are Iraq. We can defend and protect ourselves without shredding our carefully crafted rights to privacy.

I do not think we can blame 9/11 for the loss of our civil liberties. If any thing we can thank it for showing us that we really never really had them but we took them for granted. 9/11 was our wake up call that freedom is some thing worth fighting for and the war never ends because some one once to take our liberties from us. Even the few we have left and it is sad to see that some people just don't see what we are now facing. The hood has been lifted and our complacancy has turned to dust. We lost our civil liberties along time ago we just did not realize it.

I don't think we are in any way losing our civil liberties. If you think think the govt. wasn't checking up on Americans before the Patriot Act, think again. I voted for Bush twice, in 2000 and in 2004. I think our govt. has been crooked for years, but I think George W. Bush is an honest man who is trying to make America safer for the future. We haven't lost freedom of press, speech, media, or anyting else. If we have wouldn't pornographers and vulgar lyrics be banned INSTANTLY??? They haven't so everyone shouldn't worry. Also, there are irregularities in the screening process at airports, but America is still new to this idea, so give it some time. Many nations have been screening passengers for decades so they have a good system. However, in our country people complain too much if they don't screen enough and then the rest complain they screen too much. No one will ever be happy, just accept it.

One step close to a Fascist state--the U.S. What's next, banning George Orwell's 1984 from required high school reading (that's already happened--never mind).

Passing the Patriot Act is the American equivalent of the burning of the Reichstag.

Turn off the TV, stop being afraid. You have a greater chance of death driving to the store than a terrorist attacking you your whole life. I'm just going to be one of those people not afraid of anything.

This one is very concerning to me. There is no need for us to contemplate having to lose our civil liberties over the 9/11 attacks. The reality is that we are always prone to terrorism. Law enforcement should be given the tools necessary to fight terrorism, but that does not mean that we should allow the government to suspend our rights. This is a law enforcement problem. Paranoia and fear cause people to run towards the paternalistic arms of the government; we must remember that if we give up our rights, we may never re-gain it. Terrorism is something that will never go away, so might as well live with it like everyone else does. There is no need to lose our civil liberties over this matter.

I'm so sick of watching this country live in fear and hysteria. We're willing to give up our freedoms for what? There was one terrorist attack and most of the country is heaving with fear, buying mounds of duct tape and watching Fox news run a ticker at the bottom that warns that Anthrax sprayed in an areosol can may be deadly. No, really? And any of us might die today in a car accident! Remember the Red Scare of the 50's and all those fall-out shelters? Remember Mc Carthy? Only now it's not communists, but Arabs. For all of you willing to give up every freedom to feel safe, just go lock yourself in a padded room. I'd rather take some chances than live without my civil liberties.

Because the government ignored the evil nature of radical Muslims now we all must suffer. Even now the Muslim hate/propaganda organizaitons like C.A.I.R. make a big stink out of Muslims being pulled off planes. They love to see little red-haired babies have to take off their shoes and 87 year old black women being frisked. Does that give you a clue as to how insane the government is acting? They listen to these radicals like CAIR (whose founder said his goal is to make the USA a totally Muslim country) and are afraid to even speak the words "Muslim terrorists". Instead, they tell us Islam is a "peaceful religion". Yea, right.

The creation of racial profiling is troubing. I don't know if Republicans have noticed this, but it is not just people of Middle Eastern decent who are Muslims. Stopping innocent people because they are Middle Eastern, while allowing a fundamentalist bomber through because he is not of that origin panders to the worst kinds of rascist crap. And means that it is easier for pontential terrorists to slip through the net, as it were, if they were not Middle Eastern. But that is not the main point, just a little "Think" notice on Bush's desk (God, how many of them must there be?) The main point is, giving up your civil rights to defend freedom is a contradiction in terms. The holding of POW's in Guantanamo Bay. Everyone else knew it was a war, so why not the US government. Oh no. Invasion of a soverign state is a "military incursion" and so the POW's must instead be "illegal combatants." Not according to the Geneva Convention, sunshine. And people wonder why the US pulled out of the idea for an International Criminal Court. Because for once, instead of dictating the law (The IMF, The World Bank, the UN, all supposedly impartial, are under the thumb of the USA) they would be subject to it. Remember the quote from the totalitarian state in George Orwell's "1984" before you go. "War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength" Look how relevant is to today's world, my fellow people. There are none so blind as those that will not see.

Line up friends, loss of liberty in aisle 1, loss of free speech in aisle 2. Don't worry about hearing liberal point of view, it will be illegal to criticize the government in a few months. If not already.

This is very troubling to me, and has continued to be a problem ever since September 11th, even almost two years later. Celebrities are getting death threats for speaking out against President Bush and the War on Iraq, and now it's "either you're with us or against us" as far as the Bush Administration is concerned. Anyone who has the gull to speak out against the government in this time (i.e Bill Maher) has his show pulled off television. This is the land of the free. I do concur with BigBaby, some rights must be limited in order to protect our democracy, but not those rights granted by our Constitution and our God. The right to free speech- the right to say that we disagree with the President. I don't agree with Bush's economic policies, but that does not make me unpatriotic. Someone who is willing to stand up for their rights to freedom of speech is indeed a patriot. As an American nationalist wrote, "a real patriot must be prepared to defend his country against its government." As the center of freedom throughot the world, we cannot expect to instill democracy into the nations of the Middle East and protect their liberties if we continue to rob our own citizens of their basic liberties. If we can't protect democracy and freedom here at home, then we cannot protect it anywhere.

Though not nearly as important as the people who died that day by a long shot, this is definately a problem. With the "Patriot's" Act, "probable cause" means nothing and people can be incarcerated without commiting a crime (they can incarcerate a man as a possible "witness", apparently). The worst part is the loss of being able to feel comfortable through everyday. Being as my job involves opening large amounts of mail, I'm so sick of having to worry about anthrax and crap that wackos can send over the mail, and I hate that handling a check (part of my job) can land me a hefty fine and jail time if that check happens to be for money laundering purposes (I'm trying to figure out how the !@#$ am I supposed to know if a check is for money laundering purposes . . . . I never see the payor or payee, we get this stuff in the mail and we process it, and I only see the beginning stages of that process. It's not like they put "for Illegal Funds" in the memo line, if they did, life would be easier). I don't know about you, but I'm pissed: it seems to me that those terrorists got what they wanted after all.

Everyone must give up some liberties to maintain democracy in our country. We have racial profiling for a reason. Its not racism. It just happens to be that the people attacking us are from Arab descent. To Oodie- learn about government. The US NEVER HAD TOTAL FREEDOM! Thats called "anarchism", something which would never work over 5 minutes.

Clearly, the early willingness to give up the most important aspects of US citizenship out of vague fear.

This may seem less important to some, but it's the first step towards totalitarianism.

The passing of the Homeland Security Act and Patriot Act and infringing on civil libertys is sad. The founding farthers would be ashamed. Many people do not know that you phones can be taped, you property searched (cars, house), and you can be imprisoned without being told what crime you commited or without having the chance to talk to your lawyer. Let's hope things can only get better before they get worse.

By far the most devastating casualty of Bush's war. Those that died could at least have lived on in a great, real democracy, but Bush has seen to it that their lives and deaths are tainted by using them as a means to restrict the constitutional rights of everyone.

in order for my comment to be helpful I will SAY exactly what is NOT on my mind and protect my thoughts from being twisted or converted into something anti-american or patriotic. But I will not ACT in anyway to give the impression I do not care about my Constitutional rights or my God given rights. We lived in the greatest country on earth. I love the America I read about in history books. Where is she?

I think we must be very careful when passing any laws out of fear. We cannot be hasty in making laws that give away our freedoms, once they are gone they will not easily be recovered. The president wants the power to use U.S. Military forces to enforce laws here at home. The president wants to make this hugh Homeland Security department that will basically answer only to him. All of this scares me. When the constitution was written, one of the key points was a balance of power between the three branches of government. With the way the president wants to redesign it, he has the biggest branch, and it looks like a club.

ABSOLUTE AND TOTAL FREEDOM----OR ELSE, REVOLUTION!!! DOWN WITH BUSH AND HIS NEW MILITARY STATE!!!

I agree that extreme intrusion into people’s lives without regard to ANY logical reasoning about that individual has no place in our definition of personal freedoms. HOWEVER, if you have basically one definite clue to start with – that being national origin – then you can’t really blame the FBI or whomever for starting off with that one clue as they desperately try to prevent any more barbarity. Remember that the people who committed these unthinkable crimes were very, very good at managing to blend and become extremely low profile. We also KNOW they are still out there and are threatening to do more. If I were a middle eastern American or visitor or visa holder with nothing to hide (as I believe most are) I would step up gladly and without coercion and say check me out and then check me off your list.

Per usual, I agree completely with ellajedlicka21. The newfound bigotry toward Muslims is positively...sickening...and nobody seems to want to do anything about it. Also, it feels a few of my rights have been taken away. There is much public demand that ANYONE who doesn not support Mr. Bush's (unofficial) War 100% should be treated like a traitor. That is total bull. Isn't this supposed to be the land of the free? Or did I read that wrong? It feels like I'm not free to be the ardent pacifist that I am anymore. Well, sorry, that's just me and you aren't changing me. Here is a little Lyric of the Day that I wish to send to Lady Liberty: Whatever came of you and me? That's all for now, so take care, everyone!

The loss of civil liberties is a travesty and it is such a shame that they are deteriorating before our eyes. Especially for Arab and Muslim Americans, the world now is so much different because racial profiling is more rampant than ever because of our country's slight paranoia.

If you are not a terrorist, you should have nothing to hide. I WANT ETERNAL VIGILIENCE UNTIL THIS CANCER IS RID.

Whether it be racial profiling, the government tapping phone calls between suspected Al Quaeda members and their lawyers, or the flack that people like Bill Maher take when they say anything other than rah rah war propaganda, the loss of civil liberties is a huge issue for me. I would hate to see our efforts to protect our way of life get so out of control that we forget what our way of life is.