An article by Elaine Scarry documents how local governments have passed
resolutions protesting provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act, defending
people’s rights “where they live;” how the legislation encourages
secrecy and challenges the notion of an open, democratic government;
and even how the use of “USA” and “PATRIOT” in this context confounds
the meanings of these words. Excerpted in the May 2004 Harper’s
magazine, it was originally published in the Feb/Mar issue of Boston
Review.