Someone stated, "of course after 9/11, we all wanted to give the government free reign to investigate and question anyone and anything." I am in no way a part of that 'everyone'. In many political blogs I have read or conversations I've had, statements like this have been said. I disagree. Of course, I wanted someone to get caught and go to jail but by no means 'anyone' or 'anything.' I didn't believe in the government then, especially not now. If I wanted anything for the government to do, it was to stop the murdering of people living in the United States because they were of Arab descent. I wanted kids to not to get beat up at school because of their skin tone. Wanting protection at the expense of freedom is no way of the American life at all. The rest of the global world, call the United States of America, 'the free world.' We are anything, but free. Benjamin Franklin says, "They that give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Both John McCain and Barack Obama voted for the renewal of the Patriot Act. That individual also stated, "he may have actually believed a strong central government, with strong powers, was essential in such times to protect us from danger." I disagree. This is beyond outrageous. Never have a centralized government. Who is to declare when people are no longer in danger? Also, "essential in such times to protect us from danger." No, all times are essential. Freedoms are essential and we should have the same and fair opportunities to live a free life as others have before us. Warrant-less wiretapping is not okay. Mail tampering is not okay. The Patriot Act will not stop terrorism. They are not terrorist in their minds; to themselves they are freedom fighters. Look at our history that we have studied in this classroom. The Magna Carta, Mayflower Compact, and The Declaration of Independence are documents that show that liberty does not die. These terrorists fight for liberty. No law can stop them in their tracks. So, can we expect for our freedoms to just return? Before answering this, what great legislation has occurred while the people just sat around to wait for politicians to pull a rabbit out of a hat? Women's right to vote? no. The voting rights act? (removed literacy tests and other barriers for blacks to vote) no George Bush said, "You are either with us or you are with the terrorists." Can anyone say loaded question? Scare tactics? I didn't buy into this then; I am not buying into it now. Media addressing our concerns for us by telling us that we should be concerned about Paris Hilton going to jail instead of Senate Bill 1959. No, I am not a part of that 'everyone' and I don't understand how many parts of academia could be. The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism act of 2001, also known as, The Patriot Act (an acronym) was printed up in the middle of the night. Our representatives were told to pass it without reading it six weeks after September the eleventh. Hamilton would have demanded the reading of this document or most in full. The Patriot Act infringes the constitution and it infringes on our future. We either have a constitution or we don't and we should live by it, period. A classmate stated "We have, in my opinion, given up personal freedom in exchange for more security. My personal thoughts are that it is probably OK in the day and age we are living in, however we need to be ever vigilant that our civil rights are not trampled." I interpret these two statements as, I have given up my personal rights for more security, which is okay, but I need to make sure that our personal rights are not trampled. If one finds it okay, then there is no need to make sure our rights are not trampled on; it is inherit in the constitution. On the other half of the statement, if we do not want our rights trampled on, then it is not okay to lose any freedom for security. She didn’t respond to me on that one.