Why I will sacrifice personal freedoms to defeat terrorism and make stupid people uncomfortable

[uberreiniger]

Jesse is one of the night time janitors where I work. He is a pathological liars who cannot tell consistant lies. He also fancies himself a political philospher. Naturally, he is not the kind of person I enjoy talking to. Like all such people, he thinks I love listening to him talk. An excerpt from last night's exchange.

Jessie: I want nothin' to do with that Patriot Act. If Congress passes that act... say they come over to my house on a loud music complaint. They can search my house and take me to jail 'cause I got two grams o' marijuana and a ounce o' cocaine!

Me: Oh YEAH! Totally write your Congressman because of that ounce of cocaine!

Jessie: (Not understanding sarcasm) Don't think I won't!

Me: Yeah, you with your cocain, you're not the bad guy or anything.

Jessie: I'm not! That's illegal search and seizure. What about the guy with two kilos o' cocaine? What about the guy got a ton o' cocaine? But they come into my house and take my ounce of it, that's illegal. I'll write Congress and make 'em gimme back my cocaine!

Sometimes I utterly lack the words to describe how stupid some people are.

Comments

[catlin.livejournal.com]

How about folks like us, normal people, that obey the law.. In Wichita (and I have seen this happen personally) They come into your home for some reason, and you have any weaponsry around? They can just randomly decide to seize said weaponry as "evidence". Once they do that, you never see it again. it gets sold at police auction. Now, how many crimes do you think Cory will ever commit with his sword collection? Or me with my bows and bodice daggers? But under the patriot act, they can do just that. Legally come in with no warrent, and little or no reason. Technically, because of my connection to my mother, they have reason to watch me. After all, Mom could have told me somethign Top Secret that I could than tell some terrorist. I got that lecture often. How I am not allowed to talk to the press about Mom being what she was, cause I might accidentally betray top secret info...

[uberreiniger.livejournal.com]

I think that might just be a rural midwestern redneck cop thing. I've heard of them doing things like that in that part of Kansas long before there was ever a Patriot Act.

[catlin.livejournal.com]

Yup Though the patriot act means now they need not have that lovely warrent, so you have no chance to defend yourself against it.