You Liberals Will Love This

[FloydGondolli]

My favorite part is where most Americans trust John Ashcroft more than they trust the ACLU.

http://www.gallup.com/content/default.asp?ci=10858

March 2, 2004
Americans Generally Comfortable With Patriot Act

Few believe it goes too far in restricting civil liberties

by Lydia Saad

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- Few Americans say they are highly familiar with the Patriot Act, signed into law over two years ago, but most believe it is within acceptable bounds in its treatment of civil liberties. Furthermore, despite sharp criticism of the law by the American Civil Liberties Union, more Americans trust Attorney General John Ashcroft than trust the ACLU to balance the sometimes competing values of national security and civil liberties.

That is the positive spin suggested by poll data relating to the counter-terrorism law passed by Congress in the panicked weeks shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The negative spin is that Americans are at odds with some of its specific provisions.

According to a Feb. 16-17 CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, only one-quarter of Americans (26%) believe the Patriot Act goes too far in restricting people's civil liberties in order to fight terrorism. Nearly as many (21%) think it does not go far enough, while the plurality (43%) believes it is about right. That represents a more than 2-to-1 balance of opinion against the idea that the act goes too far. Public reaction has changed little since first measured last August.

 

[FloydGondolli]

Obviously we have quite a few people outside the mainstream here at this forum. Funny part is, most of them don't even realize it and often believe the opposite is true.

 

[blueedwards]

what is that avatar? is that bookman, the library cop from "seinfeld"?

 

[D2bets]

It's not the ACLU's job to balance the need to protect Americans against the need to protect civil liberties so the question doesn't even make sense. That is John Ashcroft's job however and he does not get high ratings.

The telling data is that the more people are familiar with the Act the more they are opposed to it. Much of those in favor of it simply have no clue as to what it is or what it says -- but what the heck, it's called the Patriot Act, how can you be against that if you're a patriot. If it was called the Civil Liberties Restriction Act I would guess it would not get quite the same support.

 

[Phaedrus]

Thanks for posting that Floyd.

The first sentence of the article:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>
Few Americans say they are highly familiar with the Patriot Act, signed into law over two years ago, but most believe it is within acceptable bounds in its treatment of civil liberties.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That just about sums it up as far as I can tell -- typical American apathy, and an odd tendency for people to gloss over anything that works up the tinfoil hat crowd.

See also:

Suck-Ups to the State: Some Americans Deserve the Patriot Act


Phaedrus

 

[Igetp2s]

"The telling data is that the more people are familiar with the Act the more they are opposed to it. Much of those in favor of it simply have no clue as to what it is or what it says.

The telling aspect of your post is the ommission of the category of people who say they are somewhat familiar with it, who support it by a 2-1 margin. Even the category that says they are very familiar supports it 56% to 43%. That is a signinficant difference.

Perhaps the large number of people who say they aren't familiar with it is due to them not being affected by it in any way. I know if my liberties were being taken away, I would try to find out why.

 

[KMAN]

This prooves whatI have been saying all along....The Patriot Act effects very few people. It's not that big of a deal as these libs are making it out to be.

 

[JudgeWapner]

Kman,just because very few people feel effected by it now,doesn't mean they won't be in the future.It presents great potential for abuse of power.And I don't trust ANY politician,Republican or Democrate with such powers.And I certainly don't trust our law enforcement agencies with powers such as these.I think history will back me up in terms of this.And we probably only know a fraction of what the CIA and FBI have done in the past in terms of stepping on citizens rights.I'm just not willing to take that chance.

 

[noital]

When they drag k man away kicking and screaming for protesting legally according to the constitution,be it though,word, or deed he will be the first one to say they got the wrong guy.

 

[Shotgun]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Judge Wapner:
Kman,just because very few people feel effected by it now,doesn't mean they won't be in the future.It presents great potential for abuse of power.And I don't trust ANY politician,Republican or Democrate with such powers.And I certainly don't trust our law enforcement agencies with powers such as these.I think history will back me up in terms of this.And we probably only know a fraction of what the CIA and FBI have done in the past in terms of stepping on citizens rights.I'm just not willing to take that chance.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Judge, for the most part the Feds already had a lot of the power. Some parts of the Patriot Act are absurd (the money issues primarily) but overall it isn't nearly the civil rights intrusion that some claim it to be.

 

[JudgeWapner]

Shot,you may very well be right.One thing I do know,once you lose rights,its very difficult to get them back.

 

[jointpleasures]

That young girl killed in Florida by Joe Smoth has no rights, does she. Joseph Smith still has rights, so what are you libs upset about?