Patriotic threat

A year ago, Congress had just passed the US Patriot Act. This legislation which was designed to strengthen America's ability to respond to terrorist threats, however, has had severe effects domestically and done some serious damage to our civil liberties.

Over the past year, courts around the country have chipped away at the unconstitutional nature of the Patriot Act. Despite the courts' intolerance of unconstitutional anti-terrorism laws and regulations, President George W. Bush and his administration now have plans to expand unconstitutional surveillance in America.

The Bush Administration is seeking changes is spying restrictions placed upon the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the National Security Agency (NSA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), or possibly even creating a domestic spying agency. In addition, the Bush Administration is seeking the creation of a registry of activities of American citizens, the Total Information Awareness (TIA) program.

Despite the public outcry voiced after the suggestion of Operation TIPS (a government organized informant network of workers with frequent access to our homes) the Bush Administration is pursuing a limited implementation of the program. Bush is also seeking the review of the Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts the military's role in civilian life. The restriction placed upon the CIA, NSA, and FBI prevents them from being domestic spying agencies. No intelligence agency can legally conduct operations on American soil. These restrictions are essential to preserving many of the civil liberties granted to us in the Bill of Rights. The effort to create a domestic spying agency may be a much more dangerous enterprise than changing restrictions already placed upon existing intelligence agencies.

TIA and Operation TIPS are dangerous concepts. Both involve the government gathering information about people who have broken no laws. The TIA program is particularly dangerous. The program calls for the creation of a "Information Awareness Office" that will provide government officials with instant access to any American's complete electronic trail, including phone records, internet activities, travel records, and even purchasing records.

Such complete and instant access to American lives is a violation of our right to privacy, and this program must stop. Operation TIPS already has the opposition of the American people, so why is the Bush Administration floating another similar proposal? President Bush must learn that Americans are unwilling to endanger their civil rights, even during times of war.

The military should not play any role in policing America. The separation between civilian police forces and the military is an essential check on the executive branch. In America, the executive branch has no control over police forces, preventing the executive branch from forcefully seizing control of the county. I do not believe that President Bush is considering a coup, or any other military action against America, however he must consider the precedent his actions set. The American military must remain completely separated from our civilian police force.

As a "compassionate conservative" President Bush should concern himself with the defense of civil liberties and fight against the expansion of an invasive federal government. President Bush should find ways to fight terrorism that do not involve the violation of the American Constitution.