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Patriot Act Outline

Decent Essays

General Purpose: To persuade the audience to take a side on the Patriot Act

Specific Purpose: To display why the Patriot Act (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism) is unconstitutional and not something the citizens should allow to be part of the US Law.

I. Attention Getter: Between 2003 and 2006, the FBI issued 192,499 National Security Letters which led to 1 terror-related conviction. This fact comes from
“A Review of the FBI’s Use of National Security Letters” by the Office of the Inspector General.
II. Thesis Statement/Argument: The Patriot Act is an unconstitutional act that violates basic rights found in the Constitution by limiting the freedom of speech, imposing …show more content…

Limiting Freedom of Speech
Support: When contacted by FBI with a NSL( National Security Letter) and asked for information, you are then placed under a gag order. This means that you are forbidden from telling anyone that the FBI has approached you and asked for this information on a person.
Example: An email provider is contacted by the government to hand over emails from someone they are looking into, they are not allowed to release to the public this has occurred.
Support: The investigators have the ability to monitor any political or religious group without necessary cause.
Support: This can cause people to be afraid to speak up, or speak out against something, because anything no matter how private can be found.

Main Point II. Improper Search and Seizure
Support: Investigators may search houses, offices, papers, files, etc and seize any information found without probable cause. (Because of the NSL)
Example: “According to an analysis by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), out of the 11,129 reported uses of the Sneak and Peek Warrant tactic in 2013, only 51 cases (.5 percent) involved suspected terrorism. The overwhelming majority (9,401 cases) were used for narcotics investigations.”

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