USA PATRIOT Act

As many of you know, there was recently legislation passed to retroactively remove immunity from all telecommunication companies that helped with the government using the USA PATRIOT Act as their medium. I believe that this was a huge mistake, and I am greatly relieved as of lately but only because of President Bush’s statement that he would veto any bill that included that. Such an act of granting retroactive lack of immunity to companies that helped the United States government would not only make companies much less likely to support the United States government in the future, but also cost major companies millions upon millions in un-needed lawsuits that although pointless, will still pass through costing our economy even more.


If we pass this law, the telecommunication companies will not be the only ones that will keep notice. The airline companies, shipping companies, and banking companies will all take note of what happened when the telecommunication companies participated in government sanctioned virtual searches of citizens and aliens, and then they will be extremely unlikely to divulge any customer information to a government agency in the future, further increasing the difficulties in keeping our nation secure.


National Security wouldn’t be the only victim however, as the economy would also be struck with a blow if this bill were to pass. Without a doubt hundreds of meaningless and baseless accusations and lawsuits will follow the passage of this bill, and although some will be sifted out, even more will be passed costing the telecommunications industry needlessly lost millions. This will cost those companies dearly as they will now have to make up that profit in an economy already struggling.


In addition to the two previously listed negative impacts of the passage of this bill, there is a distinct lack of a positive list to accompany this. This is because there would be no positives associated with the bill passing. No one was financially hurt, or physically hurt due to the telecommunications industry cooperating with the government, and therefore under no circumstances should they be held accountable under that same government for previously helping it.