FILIBUSTER ON PATRIOT ACT DANGEROUS TO AMERICA

I have been out for a few days and two events that will have great consequences for The United States have taken place. First, the history making success of the parliamentary elections in Iraq. Two years and nine months from the time that the regime of Saddam Hussein was ended by coalition forces the Iraqis have instituted first, an interim government, written and ratified a Constitution and then in a tremendous 70% turn out freely elected a permanent government. Thanks to the marvelous job that our military has performed the day went without much incident and the Iraqis have accomplished in 33 months what it took 57 of the most brilliant men ever to walk the earth nine years to accomplish at the birth of our nation. This is a tremendous victory for the Iraqis, our brave men and women in uniform and the President. It is his steadfast leadership despite unprecedented opposition and false accusations that has allowed the United States and her allies to stay the course and bring freedom and liberty to Iraq. The second event that will have great and this time terrible ramifications on our nation was the failure of the Senate to approve the continuation of the Patriot Act. There are many, especially on the left that claim that the Act takes away our civil liberties, and if you look at it only in that light there is merit to this argument. But protecting this nation from another 9/11 makes it necessary to by law possibly sacrifice certain civil liberties. This argument though has not taken into account several things. Since the inception of the Patriot Act there has NOT been a single case where authorities have abused the previsions that the left claim take away civil liberties. There has actually been a strong concerted effort to investigate only those who have shown they pose a possible threat to the nation. That said if wire tapping any phone or intercepting any e-mail prevents another terror attack in this country then ANY sacrifice is appropriate. The Patriot Act also eliminated the , "wall," that was created under the Clinton administration that prevented the FBI, CIA and the military from sharing gathered intelligence which has been proven to be one the most blatant failures in detecting the 9/11 attacks BEFORE they happened. Since the Patriot Act eliminated this wall, there have been six attacks of a magnitude of 9/11 prevented. Three in the US and three overseas. Yet despite the overwhelming evidence of the success of the Patriot Act the left and a few wimpy Republicans have chosen to filibuster the Act and as such come January 1, 2006, 15 DAYS FROM TODAY, we will be returned to pre-9/11 capabilities for both the intelligence and the law enforcement sectors who help protect this nation. If the political animals who have caused this catastrophic political grand stand think that the enemy does not realize what they have done then they are greatly mistaken. The distinct possibility of another attack taking place is a real and terrible threat while these Senators are playing their political games at the expense of the safety of this nation.


Ken Taylor