Sure the Patriot Act is important but I also feel that it does have flaws specifically on spying on law abiding citizens.
A great misconception regarding the Patriot Act since people listen to rhetoric rather than reading the documentation itself. Just as before the Patriot Act was established, the gov't must have a reason to "spy" on a US Citizen. They can't merely say "Hey, let's go see what ol' Billy Bob is up to these days." Yes, sometimes innocent people do get investigated, but something out of the ordinary had to attract their attention. That is not taking away anyone's civil liberties. That's keeping everyone (including the person investigated) safe.