Another View: Reforming the Patriot Act will protect our civil liberties

Sen. JOHN E. SUNUNU analyzes the Patriot Act. The ACLU and others are having a kneejerk reaction to this bill without actually looking at reform to protect civil liberties vice just killing. It has been a vital tool in the Global War on Terrorism.//JW sends.

Unfortunately, some people have responded with a knee-jerk reaction calling for the repeal of the Patriot Act. Before the Patriot Act, however, our laws did not reflect or foresee a day of cellular phones, satellite communication and high-speed Internet. There are many very important provisions of the Patriot Act that update our law enforcement capabilities in a way that reflects changes in technology. Our goal should be to support these efforts to update law enforcement tools, while drawing appropriate lines to protect privacy and civil liberties.