Jose Can You See An Attorney: America is a nation governed by words. The most important words, those that define the nation and its culture, are embodied in our documents.

To help us think, talk and teach about the rights and responsibilities of citizens in our democracy, we invite you to explore 100 milestone documents of American history. These documents reflect our diversity and our unity, our past and our future, and mostly our commitment as a nation to continue to strive to "form a more perfect union."

The People's Vote, co-sponsored by the National Archives and Records Administration, National History Day, and U.S. News & World Report, invited Americans of all ages and educational backgrounds to vote for 10 of 100 milestone documents drawn mainly from the holdings of the National Archives. According to the people voting from the selected list, these are the most influential documents in American history. The three most influential documents, according to this survey, are: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.

Nowhere in the Top 100 Milestone Documents is there any recognition of the significance of the Patriot Act. Apparently, the dot gov didn't consider the Patriot Act even potentially one of the one hundred most influential documents in American history, even though that document significantly affects the civil liberties held most important to Americans.

It's worth noting that, while the American media focused on the capture of Saddam Hussein over last weekend and lauded the newfound freedom of the Iraqi people, the president unceremoniously signed into law an enhanced version of this legislation, which some call Patriot II. And that shows again how important the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights are; ensuring checks and balances in the American system by establishing separate but equal branches of government to guarantee liberty and justice for all.

The courts are the likeliest place to find a sensible counterbalance to overreaching government policies, and this year was no exception.

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia heroically ruled that 9-11 suspect Zacarias Moussaoui could not face the death penalty or any charges related to the terrorist attacks of that day since the Bush administration is refusing him access to key witnesses in his defense.

The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals found that the president did not have the inherent constitutional authority to hold an American citizen as an enemy combatant incommunicado and without charge. On Dec. 18, it ordered that Jose Padilla be released from a military brig, saying he is to have the constitutional rights of any other American.

For those rulings, the American courts were awarded a Freeby, among others, in the year-end review of civil liberities in America by journalist Robyn Blumner.