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Essay On How 9/11 Changed America

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The events that took place on September 11th, 2001 have forever changed the United States. On that day it was clear that our borders were not secure. Our nation’s security was questioned, and our national security plan, as a result, had to change. President Bush did what he felt was needed at the time, laying out the foundation for a surveillance apparatus, involving the Patriot Act and the National Security Agency. This United States’ surveillance apparatus, though, draws a thin line between privacy and security. In doing so it forces us to trade our liberty for security, causing both to be lost, and thus, moves us towards losing our democracy. Prior to the events of 9/11 our national security plan was not heavily touched upon. It remained more or less stable since 1947 when President Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947. During President Bush’s time in office prior to 9/11 the only steps he took to change any aspect were the ones toward foreign policy. “During his first nine months in office, Bush made clear his intentions to move the country away from-or entirely out of-a number …show more content…

Up until this point, the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled that the Fourth Amendment’s protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, applied to surveillance for domestic threats (Surveillance). However, this act now “stipulated that government officials have the authority to ‘intercept wire, oral, and electronic communications relating to terrorism, computer fraud, abuse offenses’” (Ambrose and Brinkley, 498). For the first time the “CIA could spy on American citizens within the U.S. borders” (Ambrose and Brinkley, 498), and for the first time, Americans were forced to trade their liberty for some sense of

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