It became federal law shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, consisting of over 500 pages and approved in a great hurry. At the time the assumption was that our government could be trusted to use discretion and restraint on using the extended powers to spy on its citizens. That turned out to be a mistake. The law is now up for renewal and some lawmakers are insisting on additional checks and balances plus modification of sections that trespass on our Bill of Rights.
The public's concern and interest in the law is, with few exceptions, nonexistent. Part of the problem is that the news media has always referred it as the "Patriot Act." Actually the law has nothing to do with "Patriotism" or "Patriots." It is an acronym like GOP, NATO, IBM, GM, etc.
The U.S.A. stands for Uniting and Strengthening America; PATRIOT comes from Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism. Very clever salesmanship.
The deadline is Dec. 31, Let your voice be heard.
Gerhard Olving, Ann Arbor