I saw an article headlined ‪"We can again be the country we were after 9/11: We flew the flag, helped our neighbors, opened our hearts, and supported our government."

I saw an article headlined ‪"We can again be the country we were after 9/11: We flew the flag, helped our neighbors, opened our hearts, and supported our government."

Are you kidding? We had a government that immediately took away rights and turned the Eye of Sauron inward. It came up with the ominous word "homeland" and stood up a disastrous Department of Homeland Security which is today stomping people on the head, kidnapping people by the thousands, trying to secretly deport planeloads of children in the night, renditioning people to foreign prisons and war zones. I don't want to be that fucking country. I want to be the country we were BEFORE 9-11, before a reactionary extremist trend took hold among conservatives and turned them all into engines of hate and fear. Before the Federalist Society successfully took over the SCOTUS, which was the cornerstone of literally all the massive corruption and criminality happening in government today. Good grief. Some people really remember the post 9-11 history differently.

@Nonya_Bidniss
Patriot Act

@Itchy Yes, I was specifically thinking about that with the Eye of Sauron

@Nonya_Bidniss

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_Act

Expanded surveillance... tapping domestic and international phones;

Easier interagency communication; and

Increased penalties for terrorism crimes... expanded list of activities which... qualify for terrorism charges.

The law... controversial due to its authorization of indefinite detention without trial of immigrants, and due to the permission... to search property and records without... consent or knowledge.