The Protection of the Country Should Override the Rights of Individuals

Most Americans feel trapped by the government. They believe that the government is spying on them just to do so and that there is absolutely no reason for it. However this is wrong because the government has several reasons to spy on us Americans. Even though this may seem outrageous, it is needed and there are ways the United States’ citizens have privacy. With all of these false accusations it is simple to see why people would be supportive of our right to privacy. On the other hand, the government eavesdropping on the people of the United States has helped save many lives and justice being served. The United States of America is a free country, so we should have the option to be spied on by the government; however, as citizens we do

An American’s civil liberties are among some of the most important rights awarded to a citizen. After 9/11 some of those liberties were taken away by the expansion of executive power, the National Security

Both National Security and individual privacy were massively affected by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In a matter of minutes, four airplanes were

On September 11th, 2001 the future of the United States changed forever. With almost 3,000 people dying from a terrorist attack that spanned the Eastern U.S., new tactics had to be created to prevent an event like this from ever happening again. Forty-five days after the attack, the USA Patriot Act was passed (Source 5). While only some Americans approved of it, the act was created to protect from terrorism across the country.

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?

During many presidencies there have been many controversial decisions affecting civil liberties during times of national crisis. Throughout American history, the powers granted to the National Government and the President himself have been strengthened and expanded in wartime situations. Although they are sometimes controversial, the authority exerted on the nation through these powers have successfully protected the well-being of America and its national security. The passage of the USA Patriot Act under George W. Bush following terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 and

9/11 shifted the primary role of the US government to keeping US citizens safe, but it is not at the expense of individual freedoms. After the 9/11 attacks took almost 3,000 lives and shocked not only the US but other countries, the US decided to make changes to certain things, in order to prevent more attacks. The government did this by detaining illegal aliens, teaming up with other countries, creating a new department of Homeland Security, and bumping up security. These actions did not take away individual freedoms, they are rather saving lives and keeping the US safe from unwanted threats.

On September 11, 2001, the Unites States suffered massive destruction caused by terrorism. Four planes were hijacked by terrorist. Nearly, three thousand lives were lost when two planes crashed into the World Trade Towers, one crashed into the Pentagon, and the final plane crashed in Pennsylvania before it could reach its final destination. An immense fear spread across the country and out of this fear came the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct the Terrorism, also known as the USA Patriot Act.

American citizens favor their civil liberties granted by the law and the Constitution. Civil liberties are freedoms of a citizen granted by the U.S. Constitution without arbitrary government abridgement. They are important because those freedoms protect the people from an oppressive government and other oppressive citizens. These rights include the freedom of assembly, petition, press, religion, speech and civil rights. The rights separate the United States from a tyrannical government. The preservation of civil rights is a keystone of democracy. This allows the United States to be unique from other nations throughout the test of time. Americans also take pride in their freedoms as the Founding Fathers would have wanted them to. The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 or also known as the Patriot Act, however, is hampering on American freedoms, pride and the Bill of Rights. The Act was passed right after the September 11 terror attacks as a way to prevent further terrorist attacks in the United States. Although security is a necessary factor in an American’s life, security should not be prioritized over personal freedom. The Patriot Act should be amended because part of the act is unconstitutional, is an attack on Americans’ civil liberties and supports the vilification of Muslim Americans.

The Bill of Rights is paramount to every single human being in the United States. It is the collection of every right a person has, and everyone should know their rights to protect themselves. The United States is slowly becoming less and less free, but not in a restrictive way, it is for the safety of its citizens. Terrorism became more apparent in our country after September 11th, and thus the Patriot Act was passed. This allowed the FBI to survey any suspected terrorist without legal permission (a warrant.) It is not restrictive; we are not limited to what we can do beyond reasonable measures. Today, at any given moment in a busy city, we are on camera from multiple different angles. Also, our emails

In the United States every person is afforded rights that must be maintained, if not, it can lead to a prosecution issue. It is difficult to determine nowadays what rights are protected within the Bill of Rights. This was even clearer with the introduction of the Patriot Act, it violated the First and Fourth Amendment of the Bill of Rights. According to Christopher Metzler (2006), the patriot act allows law enforcement the right to search and utilize wiretaps to obtain information that can be used in domestic criminal cases (p. 55). America has given up some of their liberties, which were protected by the constitution in hopes of gain more protection from terrorism. For example the Fourth Amendment protects against unlawful search and seizure

A good example is the illegal drugs. For law enforcers, they have use paid informants, undercover agents, and electronic surveillance to catch the criminals. They also perform random searches, compulsory drug tests, along with many intrusive methods. These methods damage the civil liberties of the individuals. However with the gravity and threat posed by drug use, the reduced civil liberties are less significant. Therefore on the issue of national security, the 9/11 terror attack inevitably minimizes civil liberties in order to enhance national

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,

Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States, once said “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” In America’s society today, some are willing to sacrifice their civil liberties in order to gain protection and security over some potential threat. Especially after the events of September 11th and several attempted bombings in U.S. cities. This sacrifice of individual freedoms such as the freedom of speech, expression, the right to information, to new technologies, and so forth, for additional protection is more of a loss than a gain. Citizens of the United States deserve equal liberty and safety overall, as someone should not have to give up

Finally, security loses its worth if not accompanied by rights. Benjamin Franklin states that "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither liberty or safety" Without Liberty, Security is purposeless. The entire purpose of national security is to protect the American way of life and what our nation