Why all the faux outrage over NSA metadata collection?

The cover of today's USA Today shows Senator Rand Paul expressing his outrage over the NSA's metadata collection program. I rolled my eyes when I saw Senator Paul. My first thought was, "What an idiot."

I realize Senator Paul is entitled to his opinion. My issue is with all his faux outrage. (Here's a line from the online version of USA Today, "Fellow critic and civil libertarian Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., called it 'an astounding assault on the Constitution.'") Senator Paul voted on renewing the Patriot Act twice since he has been in office. Didn't he read the bill? Didn't he realize that the 2008 renewal allowed for the type of data collection that has been in the news this week? Suddenly he's outraged because there is a camera present? (For the record, he voted no both times.)

Actually, all the faux outrage is just another example of how voters don't pay attention to what is going on in Congress. Since the Patriot Act was entacted in 2001 it has been the subject of hundreds of print articles, broadcast talk show debates and blog postings.

In 2007, The Simpsons Movie even had the NSA tapping phone calls as a central plot point. It's hard to say the government monitoring phone activity to deter terrorists was a secret when it was in The Simpsons Movie.

I often joke with people that we live close enough to a mosque that we should assume our calls are being monitored. It's funny, but it's not. It is the reality of the Patriot Act, though.

All this outrage is one more example that people don't pay attention to what is going on. For years the Patriot Act has been a talking point in national security discussions. Still, people act like they had no idea this was going on. And, they probably didn't. Big picture topics, like National Security, are left to the experts unless there's a personal reason for people to care. Once the personal connection is made, then people start to pay attention.

Well, now it's time to pay attention. Yahoo News wrote a very nicely doumented article about the different Patriot Act renewals and ammendments. Here's Exactly Who to Blame in Congress for Authorizing Government Spying details every Congressperson and Senator and how each voted on the different authorizations.

Stop sitting on your couch complaining about what the government is doing. Click on the Yahoo article, read how your elected officials voted and contact them to express your opinion. If you want a say in your government, you need to take action.