The Patriot Act Essay

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 devastated the United States people. As they mourned over the deaths caused by the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York City, Americans began looking for a way to prevent anything like this from happening again. Consequently, an act known as the USA PATRIOT act was passed by Congress. This act opened up many doors previously closed to law enforcement and intelligence agencies. With these new opportunities available to them, they have the capability to obtain information about specific individuals believed to be involved in terrorist activities and organizations. Very beneficial to the United States, the Patriot Act provides easier access for different government law enforcement agencies to share information, allows government agencies investigative tools that non-terrorist crimes already use, and helps to dismantle the terrorist financial network. Although many people claim that the Patriot Act violates the United States Constitution and the freedoms of the American people, it contains many elaborate safeguards to fight against such abuse.

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

This Act may be cited as the "Uniting and Strengthening America Act" by providing appropriate tools required to intercept and obstruct terrorism. President Bush signed the Patriot Act on October 29, 2001. It passed and with no debate voted on; many members of congress did not fully read the act. Due to the anthrax scare many Congressman did not have access to their offices. Attorney General John Ashcroft silenced any debate by warning that anyone who contested the Act would be "akin to a traitor abetting the terrorist."(Podesta, 2001) Congress had rejected many of the provisions previously debated. It was a recycled compilation of many extreme "wish lists." In the post 9/11 wake of fear, it became a reality.

The United States government changed the face of computer and internet use when it signed the USA Patriot Act on October 26, 2001. This act was created in the wake of the terrorist attacks in New York City on September 11 that same year. Many people believe that this act is a good thing and will help in defense against any future attacks. What most people do not know, however, is the effect of this act on the more general public. This includes individual people, public libraries, colleges and universities, and even trucking or hauling companies.

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

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

Enforcement agencies can now pull records of business, and bank records to see what transactions possible terrorist are doing and whom they are dealing with. Law enforcement, intelligence, and national defense communities no longer have to worry about the legal constraint before talking to each other to protect the welfare of the United States citizens. The United States government can now use up to date equipment to fight the digital battle in gathering information. Warrants can be obtained in any district in which terrorism-related actions happened, in spite of where they will be executed. Victims of computer hacking can now give authorities permission to track hackers and treat them the same as physical trespassers. The Patriot act has also increased penalties for those that intend to commit a terrorist crime. These are most of the positive of the USA Patriot Act.

Terrorism Act of 2001”, which was a complete violation of citizens’ civil liberties. The Patriot Act increases the discretionary power of federal agents to collect information about individuals, to search their homes, to inspect their reading habits and their Internet queries, to review their credit reports, to conduct wiretaps without warrants, to overhear lawyer-client telephone conversations without court orders, and to reduce judicial supervision and to spy on domestic organizations and advocacy groups (Schlesinger 2004, xviii). This act was passed as quickly as possible, with flying colors through the senate and the house. Bush was bypassing all federal laws in order to spy on the citizens of the US, and to have complete control over what was said and done within the country. He was extending his powers as an executive of this country to violate the rights we have as citizens – to have court orders and warrants when our phones are being tapped and our records looked through. It violates the first, fourth, and the fifth amendments in the Constitution.

Shortly after the terrorist attack on the united states on September 11, 2001, president at the time George W. Bush enacted the USA Patriot Act. George bush has been quoted Stating “Terrorism against our nation will not stand” (Jones 2) a message which was hit home by the enactment of the USA Patriot Act. The Patriot Act gives law enforcement agencies increased powers enabling them to apprehend terrorist. The USA Patriot Act was enacted by congress on October 26, 2001, with the idea that it would help a crippled nation combat terrorism. The act of terrorism which is described as the act of using violence to gain political ground. According to James A. Morone author of the text “By the People Debating American Government” “The USA Patriot Act gave police and security personnel far more latitude to monitor, search, and detain suspects both abroad and at home” (Morone 683). The USA Patriot Act forfeits certain constitutional rights afforded by the constitution in an attempt of keeping the United States free of terrorism, On may 26, 2011 current president Barack Obama signed the Patriot Sunset extension act of 2011. The Patriot Sunset Extension Act of 2011 is a four year extension of three important provisions of the USA Patriot Act which has proved effective when combating terrorism. The extension extended the three of the most controversial aspects of the Patriot Act. Wiretaps, searches of public records and the conduction of surveillance of individuals suspected of

The Patriot Act is a clear infringement of the right of people to not be searched and seized. Roving Wiretaps, Section 206, allows the government to acquire a warrant to tap any phone or computer of someone who is suspected to be a terrorist. Critics noted, however, that if the suspect comes into casual contact with someone who is innocent in terms of the acts, the privacy of the latter could be trespassed upon. This is a violation of the Fourth Amendment; the security and privacy of someone who is innocent would be infringed upon. Foreign Intelligence Wiretaps and Searches is a provision similar to that of the Roving Wiretap but for those who are suspected as foreign spies. Critics claimed that international spying and terrorism is too easily given as an excuse and has led to an excess of intelligence taps compared to the criminal taps. “Sneak and Peak” Warrants also comes in violation of the Fourth Amendment because the provision allows the FBI to search and investigate any home or business without prior warning to that of whom they would search and intrude upon, a clear violation of unreasonable search and seizure.

A few years ago president Bush put in place the patriot act within two months of the 9/11 attacks. This was to insure the safety of American people who were skeptical about American national security .The act wasn’t put in place to take away citizens rights but to help protect them. President Barack Obama thought it should be revised even more to protect the liberties of American people. He has lately extended the patriot act making it harder for American to believe that they have more liberties than security.

The USA PATRIOT Act is an Act of Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001. With its ten-letter backronym (USA PATRIOT) expanded, the full

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,

But as the years have passed and the terrorist attacks seem further away, people have begun to question whether too many restrictions on law enforcement were rolled back. Recent news that President Bush has authorized the wiretapping of some phone calls in the United States without court orders upset many. While the government has defended these actions by saying that only suspected terrorists were targeted,

After the September 11th terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre by the Islamic radical group al-Qaeda and the 2001 Anthrax attacks on two senators and several news media offices, congress rushed to pass the USA Patriot Act, which roughly is an Act to deter and punish acts of terrorism in the United States and around the world, to enhance law enforcement investigatory tools, and for other purposes. After these unrelated terrorist attacks happened within weeks of each other congress knew reform legislature was needed. Many Historians such as Brett Rubio believe that the USA Patriot Act infringed upon American’s civil liberties while the U.S. Government more specifically the Justice Department believed it was necessary course of action