Americans Support Patriot Act

The Connecticut Post reports a new Sacred Heart University poll found a majority of Americans support USA Patriot Act:

75.6 percent of respondents who had an opinion on the topic not only defended it, but would like to see it made permanent.

Dr. Gary Rose, chair and professor in the Department of Government and Politics at Sacred Heart University, said

The poll results concerning the Patriot Act strongly suggest that the American people are willing to expand the power of government and allow civil liberties to contract somewhat in the interest of fighting terrorism. The results suggest a pragmatic response to what is a very distinct threat to the safety of the American people. This is fairly consistent with the historical pattern in the

U.S.

of favoring security over liberty during a time of national crisis.

The poll examined several domestic and foreign policy issues and also found:

59.2% suggested Congress should make the President Bush's first term tax cuts permanent.

70.8% said the United Nations should use military means if necessary to prevent from building nuclear weapons.

66.5%, said they are opposed to continuing financial aid to Hamas as long as they remain committed to terror and refusing to recognize Israel's right to exist.

47.8% strongly or somewhat agreed that the United States should pull out of Iraq.

The poll was conducted February 9-15, 2006 and has a  +/-3.0% margin error. Unfortunately, Sacred Heart doesn't share how the questions were phrased.

Comments

[gary cruse]

Is it just me, or is there a growing danger associated with maintaining separate mental compartments for civil liberties and liberty?

I wonder if people whose idea of civil liberty is something gained in the sixties think they are giving some of it back. If they had to think of undifferentiated freedom, which is what we're dealing with here, they'd not be so ready to let some go.