Patriot Act Speech

Keeshin Zwick Patriot Act Speech Outline I.

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Introduction a. Quote: Benjamin Franklin – “Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither Liberty or Safety.” b. Attention Grabber: You probably don’t know what the Patriot Act is. That puts you in the majority of the people who are governed by a law that they know very little to nothing about. c. Thesis: The Patriot Act is a brutal violation of our civil rights as Americans because it breaches our rights to privacy and allows Congress many Orwellian privileges they do not deserve. d. Preview: i. What is the Patriot Act? ii. What is wrong with it/abuse iii. Constitutional violations iv. What can you do to fix it What is the Patriot Act? a. Formally the USA PATRIOT act, fully: Uniting & Strengthening of America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism. Good acronym Congress. Maybe you should have spent time writing the law instead of making a clever acronym. b. A law to allow further measures to be taken to stop further terrorist attacks following 9/11. i. Wire taps ii. Secret searches iii. Internet surveillance iv. Access to records (medical, financial, mental health, student records) v. Phone Monitoring vi. Jailing on suspicion (ACLU) c. Why did it get passed? i. 9/11 ii. Security increase to prevent another one iii. Senate 10/24, House 10/25, Pres/Law 10/26 1. 342 pages 2. Written overnight 3. Rushed 4. No debate, discussion 5. Few read it fully 6. Treasonous if you reject it (Surveillance) iv. Russ Feingold D-WI, only to reject in Senate, 1 abstain, 1 absent 1. “Preserving our freedom is the reason that we are now engaged in this new war on terrorism. We will lose that war without firing a shot if we sacrifice the liberties of the American people.”

Keeshin Zwick

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Reorganize?

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v. Extension pending 5 weeks ends Feb 3. Senate approved 6 month but that was not fully approved What’s wrong with it a. Quotes from government officials worth contradicting i. Cheney on NSA surveillance- “(NSA surveillance) is fully consistent with the constitutional responsibilities and legal authority of the president and with the civil liberties of the American people.” (Riechman) ii. Cheney on protection the Patriot Act provides-“Obviously no one can guarantee that we won’t be hit again…but neither should anyone say that the relative safety of the last four years came as an accident. America has been protected not by luck, but by sensible policy decision, by decisive action at home and abroad and by round-the-clock efforts on the part of people in law enforcement, intelligence, the military and homeland security.” (Riechman) iii. Bush on NSA- “The authorization I gave the National Security Agency after Sept. 11helped address that problem in a way that is fully consistent with my constitutional responsibilities and authorities. b. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) of 1978, court to get things certified c. NSA, spying program: Bush: "Nothing has changed, by the way. When we're talking about chasing down terrorists, we're talking about getting a court order before we do so." Democrats have seized on the remark, made more than two years after Mr. Bush authorized the N.S.A. to conduct wiretaps without warrants, in charging that the president had misled the public. (Bumiller) d. Immigrant clauses e. The Patriot act gives law enforcement officials to keep any person suspected of posing a threat to national security in detention for up to seven times, and more often times, indefinitely. f. No probable cause! g. While they are taking a time to stop the terrorists, they put in provisions to stop the computer hackers and the immigrants. I think that’s a violation of our rights. h. Allows FBI to seize business and personal records without court approval i. “All tangible things” – that means anything. If they didn’t specifically say it, they can still do it because of this part of Section 215. i. Orwellian, 1984 j. Violation of presidential power Constitutional Violations a. 1st Amendment i. No law may prohibit free speech, Violates the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech by prohibiting the recipients of search

Keeshin Zwick

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orders from telling others about those orders, even where there is no real need for secrecy. b. 4th Amendment i. Which protects against unreasonable searches c. 5th Amendment i. No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. th d. 6 Amendment i. Right to a speedy trial by jury th e. 14 Amendment i. Which states that no person can be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, equal protection under the law What you can do? a. Talk to your Congressman i. Mark Kirk who is our local Congressman’s information 1. Washington, DC Office 1717 Longworth HOB Washington, D.C. 20515 Phone: 202-225-4835 Fax: 202-225-0837

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Northbrook Office 707 Skokie Boulevard, Suite 350 Northbrook, IL 60062 Phone: 847-940-0202 Fax: 847-940-7143

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Waukegan Office 20 South Martin Luther King Dr. Waukegan, IL 60085 Phone: 847-662-0101 Fax: 847-662-7519

b. THESIS c. So what will you do….