Patriot Act Research Paper

     The United States of America is a country that is based upon a principle of balancing the rights of an individual, while still preserving public order. The U.S. Constitution (specifically the Bill of Rights) guarantees every American certain Individual rights. Some of these rights include; freedom from unreasonable search and seizures, a right to due process of law, and protection against cruel and unusual punishment (The 4th, 5th and 8th Amendments). Historically the criminal justice system has preserved these rights of peopled accused of crimes. However on September 11, 2001, the United States became the victim of the largest terrorist attack the World has ever seen. According to Schmalleger in 2003, that

With good intentions, the Patriot Act allows the government to pry into Americans' lives through computer and phone records as well as credit and banking history (Source 5). This oversteps the U.S. Constitution as the First and Fourth Amendment were created to give citizens freedom and the right to deny search and seizure

Technology has affected the field of justice studies in many ways. After the events of September 11th 2001, technology has had an even greater impact on the field of justice studies. Rapidly advancing technology has made surveillance cheaper and easier to conceal. Tools such as wiretapping, surveillance for e-mails, and other forms of surveillance tools that were before a violation of peoples' right to privacy, are now allowed to be used without probable cause. These tools now allow the FBI to find terrorists before they commit their act of violence. These surveillance tools that are now allowed to be used by the FBI were passed under the USA Patriot Act. Given that the USA Patriot Act now allows the FBI to look through what many

The Patriot Act was established after the tragedy of September, 11, 2001 in a moment of weakness. It gave unprecedented and unnecessary powers to intelligence agencies under the wide umbrella of national security. The Patriot Act has used an “us vs them” mentality as well as pro-American propaganda to accomplish its goals. This new authority of the intelligence agencies has gone too far, is unjustified, unconstitutional, and infringes on the privacy of the American people, as well as others in the world. The Patriot Act should be weakened in order to preserve the rights of the American people and to reaffirm to the world that the U.S will not tolerate violations of human rights.

People who oppose the act ask this question “Does this act violate the Fourth Amendment? (The right giving us privacy as United States citizens). “There is an inherent opposition between governments’ requests for access to data in the context of criminal investigations, or the fight against drugs or terrorism, and the basic rights of individuals to privacy in their home or their papers.” (Gilbert 3). Basically to some up that statement there are certain times when the United States will use the act, almost like when the police get a warrant they pick the time that is best for them for their safety and our country as a whole. People who oppose this act also ask this question, is the Patriot Act just a way for the United States to listen to our lives as an excuse? What does the CIA or FBI listen for when using this law? “Contrary to press reports, the Patriot Act is not “the” U.S. law that governs the rules for access to data or communications by law enforcement and national security agencies.”(Gilbert 2). This means the U.S would have to have consent to use other countries databases for information on criminals and other activities, but this brings up a point, the United States wouldn’t give you a warning if they were watching your internet browsing or wiretapping your phone if they wanted your

Prompt One: (Threat of Terrorism): Looking at today’s headlines, it has become apparent that terrorism and terrorist threats are now in our backyard. To protect our citizens, a new approach should be taken at every level of government, from local, state, regional, and global. Homeland Security currently has a plethora of updated and ever evolving laws that are particular with each threat we are facing ranging from Ammonium Nitrate Regulations, Chemical Security, Employment Issues, as well as Travel Security (DHS, 2016). The enactment of the Patriot Act allowed the United States Government to use surveillance against more crimes of terror. This change opened up doors for the federal agents to have easier access to warrants as well as allowed these agents to more closely follow terrorists that have evaded detection for years. This Act, however, took extreme measures to be able to pass and created such a time gap that potential terrorists were able to slip through the cracks while the United States was waiting for this Act to be authorized. The creation of new laws that target terrorism should have a more direct and open path to Congress than typical legislation and bills that make their way through Congress. Looking at past terrorist acts, it has become blatantly obvious that cell phone companies have notoriously been the deciding factor when attempting to gather intelligence from a terrorist phone before and after acts of terrorism on domestic soil

On September 11, 2001 the United States was attacked by a terrorist group on our own soil. On October 26, 2011 the US Government signed into law the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (USA Patriot Act). Only one and a half months after we were attacked physically by a terrorist group, our government decided that we would be better off with a lot less freedom in order to better protect America from terrorist attacks in the future. Although this seemed like an obvious need in 2001, now almost ten years later there is little evidence supporting a need for such an Act. The bottom line is that the Patriot Act allows the US

In the wake of September 11, many things happened very quickly. Along with the beginning of a '"'war'"' against terrorism, an act was passed to help prevent future terrorism in the USA. The name of this is the USA Patriot Act. The act legalizes many surveillance techniques that were once prohibited. The act has been passed without debate, and the new privileges given to our government have not been thoroughly examined. The law enforcers of our country are now capable of monitoring the citizens in ways most people are not aware of. Some of the surveillance laws are self-terminating after four years, but many of the more important laws are permanent. What will these new surveillance laws be used for after the war on

Also concerned is the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). This is an organization that is dedicated to raising awareness of civil liberties. The PATRIOT Act, as the name suggests is supposed to protect the citizens of the country from attacks across its borders. It defeats its own purpose in attacking from within the very people it’s supposed to protect. In fact, it does almost the opposite by provoking a fear and paranoia that tends to remind us of such wonderful events like the Spanish inquisition or the Salem Witch Trials.

It could be argued that the PATRIOT act is a step away from giving government agencies the legal power to disregard fundamental rights. Each document gives the government a little more lee-way. If the American people are not wary, the government will keep on bending the rules as far as they will

After 911 attacks on the World Trade Center, Congress passed a new law: "The Patriot Act" which has accomplished exactly what it was designed to do," Bush said. "It has helped detect terror cells, disrupt terrorist plots and save American lives."

The Patriot Act was signed into law on October 26, 2001 by President George W. Bush. The act expanded the surveillance capability of both domestic law enforcement and international intelligence agencies. When this law was passed it was under the assumption “to deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and around the world, to enhance law enforcement investigatory tools, and for other purposes” (The USA Patriot). The Patriot Act has given the government the power to spy on the average American through monitoring phone records and calls, gaining banking and credit information, and even track a person’s internet activity. This is an unbelievable amount of power intelligence agencies wield all under the umbrella of national security. This power has gone too far, is unjustified, unconstitutional, and infringes on the privacy of the

After researching and reading the different issues and topics I have learned more about why things have come to the way they are. But the one that really got me was the Patriot Act. Some say it is necessary and some say it is not worth it. The Patriot Act became a new law that was passed in secrecy six weeks after the 9/11 attacks. Some say they feel that the Act may bring a greater danger to America and also that we are all enemies of the state. Which that is one I do not agree with. The Act is composed of many laws that we already have and is designed to encounter terrorism in the U.S. But in some ways the Act proved to be a very necessary tool for the U.S to fight against terrorism and ensure public safety even at the expense of some of our privacy and rights. Either way to me it is all confusing. I personally think it is necessary but, at the same time I don’t. Basically this tells me for me to be safe I have to give up my rights and privacy

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,

knowledge, or large cash transactions, and someone stealing or purchasing explosives. These are hints all of terrorist activity.