A Chilling Sea Change

"This is really a sea change," said a former senior official who specializes in national security law. "It's almost a mainstay of this country that the N.S.A. only does foreign searches." (NY Times 12/16/05)

Big brother is watching. I'm not one to get paranoid, nor am I especially nervous that the NSA has been watching me through satellite imaging or listening to all the international phone calls I make, but it's a little odd knowing President Bush has decided to lord over the constitution in hopes of catching terrorists making phone calls and writing e-mails to people overseas. I have yet to fully devote my life to the constitution or to the laws of America in general, but I kind of hoped all along that our President would be one to feel that kind of loyalty to "the law." Instead, he wants to nab terrorists, which is arguably a more noble and moral thing to do. So it's a toss-up- the opening tip between two 7-footers. How about Shaq as the Law and Yao as the War on Terror. We'll call this dual of the giants "the Patriot Act" (I don't care if Yao's from China, he's American now that Houston is paying him millions).

I'm trying hard to make this a non-partisan argument- that's kind of been my goal of writing lately. Partisan loyalty alienates too many intelligent people who are fed up with the other side of the political fence's nonsense (like intelligent clones of myself). Instead, I just want to question the president. Are you really above the Law? I understand the importance of fighting terror, but isn't there a process to Law and Order? You get a warrant when you have sufficient evidence, then you listen in on someone's cell phone call to Libya?

Meanwhile, while the New York Times is looking to comment on the issue of national security vs personal privacy, a debate is raging in Congress regarding the Patriot Act. It is floating between Republicans and Democrats, about to expire, and it looks as though it will get shot down. Some of those same Republicans who support Bush are turning their back on the president's plan for national security.

But Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) showed support, saying the Act will "Advance or retreat" in the war on terrorism. "It's as simple as that." A simple, fool-proof plan for fighting terrorism? Is that what this Patriot Act really consists of? Searching library records and eavesdropping on e-mails is a simple way of fighting terrorism? How about not releasing key Al-Qaeda members out into the public! How about finding Osama Bin Laden and getting the hell out of Mesopotamia!

As I write this, I read the rest of the NY Times article that sparked these words. Looks like my hunch was right and maybe the NY Times is indeed a liberal-biased paper. Running a headline about Bush playing Big Brother directly under an article about the Patriot Act debate is just too obvious, but at least they mention that several senators did hold up copies of the NY Times article about domestic spying during the congressional debate. Democrat senators. So the Times is creating a tool for Democrats to use in Congressional debates, then writing about it. Badass. And I'm not saying that because they're liberal ideas. I'm saying that because I felt a little creeped out by the thought of President Bush and his buddies at the NSA looking over the e-mails I send to people in other countries, laughing at the way I misspell words and use incorrect grammar. That's classic Bush for ya.

What gives me hope is that the Patriot Act will not be renewed before its December 31 deadline. I will sail off to Galway, Ireland without the belief that our government has its cameras tilted toward me and its microphone bugs infecting my cell phone. Maybe Bush will get impeached for this. Maybe more Republicans like Sen. Larry Craig, a conservative Republican from Idaho, will oppose the Patriot Act and stand up for American liberty. Isn't that what this war in Iraq is all about? Freedom and democracy for all?! I have Sen. Russ Feingold, a fine senator from this very state of Wisconsin, in fact the only senator to vote against the Patriot Act four years ago, to thank for this realization: the disclosure of domestic spying "should send a chill down the spine of every senator and every American." I'm shivering, and its not because of this brittle, windy Wisconsin winter air.