UM Employee fired for Innocent Statement

After reviewing the "Chilling Effects of Anti-Terrorism", I came across some irrational actions that were taking by institutions and the government related to the newly enforced patriot act. One action that really stood out to me was the report of a University of Miami Employee who was fired. It was his 22nd birthday on September 11th and he said out loud "Some birthday gift from Osama bin Laden!" Due to this statement, he was fired from his job. I guess it does relate directly to the Patriot Act, but it does illustrate the sensitivity of people had after the 9/11 attack. The government took advantage of this public sensitivity and they were able to enforce laws that allowed unauthorized viewing and searching of personal files.