Patriot Act Essay

One beautiful morning in September 2001 many people went about their day like they have before. Some off to work, or traveling for business, or to visit family, and in a blink of an eye our lives in America changed forever. We were attacked, on our own soil, not once, but four times. That fourth plane didn’t make it to its destination, thanks to the brave souls aboard that sacrificed their lives to save others. On that fateful day 2,753(NYmag) families would never be the same, as well as the rest of us that watch in disbelief. The attacks on September 11th 2001 led to something called the Patriot Act. In the days after 9/11 Congress hurried to pass a bill to give law-enforcement agencies the power to fight domestic terrorism. On October 26, President George W. Bush signed three hundred page USA Patriot Act into law (Crf.org). The USA Patriot Act of 2001 was created to prevent and catch terrorist in the United States and around the world. The contents of it has been one of great controversy in the rights of our privacy and the violation of our constitutional rights. Can we give up too much freedom to keep us safe? Where do we draw the line to keep our Country safe?

Several weeks after the horrible terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act was rushed through Congress by Attorney General, John Ashcroft. This particular Act, however, was established with a ruling hand of fear. Life for Americans changed dramatically in those immediate days, weeks, and months after the attack. America had been spoiled with luxury for so long, that the illusion of control had ingrained itself into our very nature as Americans. That act of terror, on September 11, 2001, brought that belief crashing down, almost immediately. Fear and anger were rampant though out America; a dangerous

The people that don’t support the patriot act believe that it violates the first amendment rights, the right to protection against unlawful discrimination, the right to due process, and the right to privacy. The right to privacy is the freedom from unwarranted government intrusion into your private affairs. The main reason that people don’t support the patriot act is because of the violation of the right to privacy from the government. (ACLU) They believe that the patriot act could lead to privacy violations of anyone who comes into any form of contact with a terror suspect. Also, people that don’t support the act believe that unrestricted sharing of information between intelligence agencies leads to the development of massive databases of citizens that are not suspects of terror. They also don’t like how the government can use sneak and peek search warrants for minor crimes and not just terrorism. (NPR) They are also worried that the material support part of the act could lead to guilt by association with terror suspects. They also don’t like the fact that

September 11, 2001 sparked many different feelings into the hearts of Americans. People sprang into action to seek revenge and protect America’s precious soils from another deadly attack by reinforcing America’s strength through her government. The men and women of Congress retaliated to the terrorist attacks by drafting and passing the USA PATRIOT Act on October 26, 2001, which stands for “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism.” The bill was moved through Congress with amazing speed and little hesitation. After the passing, the unsuspecting citizens of America were bombarded with many new rules and regulations that

Ever since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 the patriot act was launched, but tragically failed, so could the patriot act be threatening your liberty and your rights as a citizen or could it be reducing terrorism and making the world a safer place?.

Everyone is familiar with the atrocity that occurred in New York on September 11, 2001. The hijacked planes, the towers crashing down, killing hundreds of civilians. Truth is, the attack left everyone in the county and around the world in an extreme state of shock. It was America after all, things like that were not supposed to happen within this country’s borders. Things like that only occurred in places thousands of miles away, places with unstable governments like Syria, and Iran. Fueled by extreme anger, and fear of another attack, many citizens demanded that their government improve its protection over its citizens. In response, the government presented the Patriot Act, a 342 page bill that gave federal officials more power to track and intercept communications, both for law enforcement and foreign intelligence gathering purposes. In 2013, Edward Snowden leaked information to the public that the government was spying and collecting hundreds of information from millions of Americans without the use of any warrants. This information was being shared throughout different departments such as the CIA, FBI and NSA. More than a decade has gone by and terrorism continues to be a threat to our society, Now everyone must ask themselves, to what extent should citizens allow its own government to increase its own power to protect them from terrorism? How many liberties are they willing to give up for for such protection?

Privacy is what allows people to feel secure in their surroundings. With privacy, one is allowed to withhold or distribute the information they want by choice, but the ability to have that choice is being violated in today’s society. Benjamin Franklin once said, “He who sacrifices freedom or liberty will eventually have neither.” And that’s the unfortunate truth that is and has occurred in recent years. Privacy, especially in such a fast paced moving world, is extremely vital yet is extremely violated, as recently discovered the NSA has been spying on U.S. citizens for quite a while now; based on the Fourth Amendment, the risk of leaked and distorted individual information, as well as vulnerability to lack of anonymity.

The Patriot Act consists of enhancing law enforcement investigatory tools, and for other purposes. The 4th amendment promises us our privacy in our persons. This act opposes towards that right. It goes against it by invading and patronizing our lawful rights. They have access to our personal information without an unreasonable search. Political cartoonists even agree that the supposably security they are giving us is overwhelming and unnecessary. For example their is a cartoon of the lady Liberty full of cameras, radars, and a phone record of all our calls and messages. Its coming to a point where the security they are giving us is making us citizens not feel safe but controlled. If we were to live in a world full of security it will be as if we are in a hostile environment of communism. People are confused as to what it is they are trying to portray, it is as if they are confused and maybe even brainwashed. The security that a Prison provides is much more understandable and liveable. You'll feel as if you have more freedom in there then out there. It has come to where freedom makes us feel more secure and protected then what they are providing us with right

After the devastating attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, this country scrambled to take action to provide future protection. New techniques had to be developed to protect the nation from the menace of terrorism. Along with the new techniques came the decision to enact laws that some believed crossed the threshold of violating civil liberties this county and those living in it were guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States. “On October 26, 2001, the Public Law 107-56, Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism, also known as the USA Patriot Act, was signed into effect” (Stern, 2004, p. 1112). While speaking to Congress,

As America was in disarray after nine- eleven, the government hastily examined solutions to prevent further terrorist attacks without bringing the demise of civil liberties(Green Matthew). Desperately, the Americans enacted the Patriot Act; which caused paranoia for civilians(Green Matthew). The Patriot Act, that was established by the Bush- Administration, was disregarded as a document that diminish civil rights within America. Unknowingly, two months after the terrorist attacks, the Bush- Administration granted covert surveillances and seizures(Matthew Green). About forty- four percent of Americans feel that the Patriot Act invades civil liberties(Gallup). With a high percentage of Americans feeling frightened as if they sighted a ghost due to the Patriot Act minimizing liberties, the government unsuccessfully attempted to preserve the safety of

The Patriot Act is a piece of legislation that has modified multiple security acts inside the United States government. This was established as a response to the terrorist attacks that took place on 11 Sept 2001. The purpose was to create rules and regulations to help aid in the capture of suspected terrorists as well as to minimize attack risk. When these amendments went into effect, US legislation gave heavy rights to the United States government. There are multiple arguments that can be made demonstrating why this Act fails when it comes to being ethical and meaningful not only to the constitution but also to that of basic privileges given to human beings. Legislations, such as unjust detainments, wire-taps, and secured information, gave

The patriotic act may have been created so that international terrorists operating on American soil can be found and prosecuted but does that mean taking away the rights of American citizens? Many citizens have come from countries where there is no freedom; they believed that the United States was the only place where they could talk freely so they came. America can not put distrust in to the hearts of those citizens by taking away the freedom to speak our minds. The Patriot Act violates our first amendment rights that protected our free speech and expression. It also violates the fourth amendment which protects citizens from unwarranted searches and seizures.

Forty-five days after the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, Congress passed the USA PATRIOT Act, also known as the “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism” Act, or more simply, the Patriot Act. The Patriot Act was created with the noble intention of finding and prosecuting international terrorists operating on American soil; however, the unfortunate consequences of the Act have been drastic. Many of the Patriot Act’s provisions are in clear violation of the U.S. Constitution—a document drafted by wise men like Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington in order to protect American rights and freedoms. The Patriot Act encroaches on sacred First Amendment rights, which protect free speech and expression, and Fourth Amendment rights, which protect citizens against “unwarranted search and seizure” (Justice). The Patriot Act authorizes unethical and unconstitutional surveillance of American citizens with a negligible improvement in national security. Free speech, free thinking, and a free American lifestyle can not survive in the climate of distrust and constant fear created by the Patriot Act.

“America will not be destroyed from the outside. If we falter, our freedoms it will because we destroyed ourselves,” Abraham Lincoln. When discussing the issue of national security versus privacy, we must ask ourselves. Will we sacrifice our civil liberties for national security? As the debate roars on we should do what is best for Americans, and what Americans think is best for Americans.

No one will ever forget the tragic events that happened on September 11th 2001. The largest act of terrorism on citizens this country has ever seen. The next month Congress passed The USA PATRIOT ACT, a clever acronym for Uniting and Strengthening of America through Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism. This act, designed to halt terrorism, gives the government more power than the constitution provides. No one should bear the power to spy on you, hold you without trial, deny you of free speech, to enter your home; this is a violation of American liberties and the constitution. Benjamin Franklin once said “Those who are willing to sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither”. That is why the giving up