Poll: Support Seen for Patriot Act Extension

[truthpusher]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/PollVault/story?id=833703&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

Poll: Support Seen for Patriot Act Extension
----------------------------
Most Back Extending the Patriot Act, But Concerns About Intrusions Grow
----------------------------
Analysis By GARY LANGER
----------------------------
Jun. 9, 2005 - Against a backdrop of heightened public concern about government intrusions, six in 10 Americans favor extending the Patriot Act, but majorities oppose expanding it by adding new FBI powers to issue subpoenas and access U.S. mail.

Fifty-nine percent in an ABC News/Washington Post poll favor continuing the additional investigative authority in terrorism investigations that was granted to the FBI starting in 2001. President Bush urged such an extension of the Patriot Act today.

But there are some compunctions behind that support: Just half the public now says the United States government is doing enough to protect the rights of Americans citizens as it conducts the war on terrorism, down from 61 percent to 74 percent in polls in 2002 and 2003. That's not unexpected; most Americans in the past have accepted possible privacy intrusions at times of national crisis -- but not on an unlimited or permanent basis. As the immediacy of the sense of crisis wanes, interest in privacy rights can reassert itself.

Patriot Act
Yes No
Extend Patriot Act 59% 39%
Require postal service to let FBI copy outside of envelopes? 44 54
Allow FBI to demand records without a judge's approval? 31 68

complete poll info: http://abcnews.go.com/US/PollVault/story?id=833703&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

[Ravenseye]

1. People aren't aware

Most people don't see how they've been affected by the patriot act, and are told it increases our security so say "sure it's fine".

They don't know that the government can search their house now with little to no probable cause, no judge, no warrant, and they don't have to tell you that they were there. They don't know that they can be arrested and held without trial indefinately....and so on.

Even if they know those provisions are there theydont' think they apply to 'normal' americans.

"Yeah but I don't do anythign wrong so they won't come for me, they'll just go after those crazy arabs or terrorists"

[fooj]

3. Then it is OUR JOB to inform the public...

peace.

[ptolle]

7. information

Fooj- your statement presumes that the public wishes to be informed. I'm not so sure of that anymore.Being informed might fall into one of those hard work categories, and it's so much easier to just drift with the current.But, that said, it is important that someone makes sure that such information is available.

[0007]

11. 'Tis indeed a problem that most folks in America doesn't want to face,

Denial ain't a river in Egypt.

[Ravenseye]

8. Yes but

Most people are oblivious. Even if you tell them they say 'bah'. I've tried. How do you convince someone it's bad, when they KNOW what the patriot act does, but just don't see it as infringing on them.

Oh sure I guess it COULD infringe on my rights, but it won't because our government is honest. Why would the FBI come after me? I've done nothing wrong. I don't commit crimes. They could show up today and say "Can we have a look around your house?" and I"d let them because I have nothing to hide and I love my president!

How do you convince people like that>

[IndianaGreen]

21. Most Americans care more about the Jacko case, or the missing blonde

in Aruba. What can you expect from a nation to whom trusting in Big Brother is more important than the hard-fought liberties enshrined in the now defunct Bill of Rights.

[CountAllVotes]

2. proof that 59% of all Americans that approve of this

are "misinformed" assholes!

:grr:
:grr:

:dem: :kick:

[booksenkatz]

4. Y'know, I was just thinkin'....

this country could have been a really f*cking fantastic country, couldn't it? We could've really been something, we were so close! We had the foundation and we had the basic resources. But the citizens ultimately wouldn't stand for it, because "freedom for all" really would have had to mean "ALL." Ah, well. Maybe some other country in the future will do it right when their turn comes up.

Just had to get that off my chest. Thanks.

[bpilgrim]

5. CHINA

is next

peace

[keithjx]

6. I tend to believe

that if you did a poll like this, but said:

1. Extend Patriot act Yes No

then listed present provisions of the act, you'd get a lot of NO responses to allowing what the present act allows. Like you say, it's just ignorance of the true provisions that causes these people to say Yes to extending it....

My opinion, anywho...
KJ

[dbeach]

9. Pat act is anything but patriotic..

it was written before 9/11

so its kinda like more preparation for less rts for the rest and more goodies for the privleged..

sacrifice liberty in name of security
deserve neither..

[merwin]

10. Notice how 68% of the population is against FBI taking records without

a judge's approval.

Isn't that one of the main provisions in the patriot act?

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. yep

[Supersedeas]

14. but the Headline says...

[notadmblnd]

13. Well over at CNN they're 61% against it

http://www.cnn.com/

[SusanF_CA]

15. CNN poll numbers on renewing Patriot Act

http://www.cnn.com/

Should the Patriot Act be renewed?  
 
Yes      39%  28414 votes
No       61%  44682 votes  
Total:   73096 votes   (10:50 a.m. PST)

[rodeodance]

22. now 62% SAY NO at cnn poll

[Massachusetts]

16. A picture of a typical individual that was polled

[Rainscents]

17. LOL

:rofl:

[Rainscents]

18. Look, who is doing the polling? These basters always twist the numbers

around, like they do with everything else

[rodeodance]

19. " majorities oppose expanding it "==suspose if anything good about

this poll is to be said is that most do not want it expanded.

[Ilsa]

20. And yet, we are left vulnerable through our borders,

the mess going on with airlines (lack of safety inspections, outsourcing of work to other countries, holes in security), but the Administration wants citizens to surrender their rights.