Columnist Susan Snyder: Patriotism is coming into focus

Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2003 | 8:08 a.m.

Reality television and the Patriot Act collided on the Las Vegas Beltway Monday morning.

It happened inside my car, however, so additional traffic tie-ups were avoided.

I was sitting on the trail of tears leading to the Rainbow Boulevard traffic light, gazing upon what has to be the ugliest stretch of highway in America.

No wonder we drive as if we hate each other.

Anyway, one of the morning radio show hosts was talking with Wade, a contestant on "For Love or Money 2," which is NBC's contribution to the abysmal reality television lineup.

It wasn't what Wade said about the show -- which I have never seen -- that proved intriguing. It was what he said about the cameras being everywhere, all the time.

"You get used to it, and after a while it's like they're not even there," he said.

Think about that.

Cameras are following this guy on dates, exploring and exploiting his every move. He even admitted he'd physically stepped on the cameraman.

Yet, he has learned to ignore the intrusion.

Eeesh.

Imagine how easy it would be to ignore intrusions you don't stumble over in the living room.

U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft and promoters of the Patriot Act are hoping for such ease.

I was on the other side of the country lapping up lobster Aug. 26 when Ashcroft brought his Patriot road show to Las Vegas' Lloyd D. George federal courthouse. I was sorry I missed the visit.

But then, it was a speech most of us were intended to miss. Ashcroft's speech to about 120 local law enforcement officials, lawyers and judges was closed to the general public -- i.e., us -- according to an Aug. 26 Las Vegas Sun report.

Ashcroft didn't have time to speak with newspaper reporters, but did have time for three-minute interviews with those toting television cameras.

Protesters, who included state Sen. Joe Neal, a North Las Vegas Democrat, and representatives from the NAACP, American Muslim Society and the ACLU, evidently were moved off the courthouse steps by security officials.

Odd behavior in representation of an act Ashcroft claims is "rooted in Constitutional liberties."

As a nation we were scared even before Sept. 11, 2001. The quest for safety has been used as a marketing scheme for everything from sport utility vehicles and auto alarm systems to cell phones and real estate. We are easy marks.

This unpatriotic act seeks to allow federal searches without warrants, expands records searches that could invade your personal medical and genetic information and could define as terrorists citizen activist groups that exist to defend and exercise our constitutional rights.

It's hard to believe that this Patriot Act hasn't been laughed out of existence.

Then again, maybe it's not. Wade says learning to ignore the annoying thing looking over your shoulder is easy.

As we observe the two-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks Thursday, we can only hope that other, more insidious attacks on our liberty don't go ignored.

Paying our respects doesn't mean we have to stop paying attention.