L.A. Vote on Patriot Act
Political partisans on the Los Angeles City Council have, yet again, pandered to a liberal base in adopting a formal resolution against renewal of the Patriot Act (Jan. 22). This, not coincidentally, follows President Bush’s State of the Union address supporting the act’s efficacy, constitutionality, renewal and necessity in protecting us from the perils of a post-9/11 world. There is no evidence that the Patriot Act is any more onerous or invasive of civil liberties than statutes targeting drug criminals and racketeering prosecutions that have withstood constitutional challenges over the last quarter-century. In this instance, council members Jack Weiss and Dennis Zine showed courage and independence in voting no on the misguided resolution.
Paul Taylor
Los Angeles
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