...Is the patriot act worth it to give up our individual freedoms for national safety? The patriot act was a response from September 11 that gave the government access to people's personal files or documents if they associate it with terrorism. The patriot act breaks the first and fourth amendments, but it has foiled many terrorist attacks in the years after September 11. Is preventing terrorist attacks more important than our constitutional rights. The patriot act is unconstitutional and wastes money on intelligence instead of helping the people of the U.S. The patriot act breaks the first and fourth amendments and our individual freedoms. The first amendment says that the people have the right of free speech, free religion, and freedom of the...
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...U.S.A. Patriot ACT (Traylyn Redman) September the 11th 200l is a day that we all know well and remember for the rest of our lives. It is a day that will down in U.S. history as one of the most historic and tragic events in our history. One response enlighten of these events that was put in place was the USA PATRIOT ACT. The reason why the USA PARTIOT ACT was signed is mainly because of poor intelligence that the U.S. has had prior to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In addition to have a plan and reanalyze our intelligence we can make sure this attack would never happen again on American soil. The patriot act is a critical and historical event in itself. The act was put into place very quickly after 9/11. The government and President Bush had seen the U.S. as a whole was a strong country but still had weaknesses and were vulnerable to attacks without taking swift action. The act was signed on October 26, 2001, just one month after the 9/11 attacks. The patriot act was put in place for many reasons and has been a benefit and various ways. There has still been criticism and skepticism of the act in just the short term of the act being signed. The act of information sharing is one factor that the critics argue. The critics argument that this information would get into the wrong hands or be used by other agencies for unrelated or wrong reasons. The act would permit wiretaps on terrorist or even any potential terror threat over more than one jurisdiction. This would make sense...
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...In the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, Congress passed and President Bush signed into law the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001. This Act is more commonly referred to as the PATROIT Act. The goal of the PATRIOT Act is to increase the Federal government’s wiretap and surveillance authority, remove barriers between the CIA and FBI information sharing and provide more tools to finance terrorism investigations. Major provisions that comprise the PATROIT Act easing the limitations on information that can be shared among the various U.S. law enforcement and intelligence officers about possible terrorists. A provision of this Act authorizes the use of roving wiretaps which permits any law enforcement officials to get a court order to wiretap any phone that a suspected terrorist would use. Another principle feature of the Act is the government’s ability to detain non U.S. citizens suspected of terrorism for up to seven days without specific charges. (Wallace, 2003) There is tremendous controversy surrounding the Patriot Act , since it was passed so quickly it was not clear cut what new tools were needed to fight terrorism and how individual liberties may be comprised. This law was created with lot of guesswork which makes it possible that Congress and the administration guess better in some areas then in others. No evidence has been found to suggest that any of provisions of the...
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...USA Patriot Act is an acronym for the official title, “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism.” On October 26, 2001 George W. Bush signed the USA Patriot Act, an act passed in response to the September 11th attack of the Pentagon and World Trade Center. USA Patriot Act bears ten sections and/or titles. The purpose of the USA Patriot Act is to deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and around the world. The act enhanced the law enforcement investigatory tools and resources. “The law was intended, in Bush’s words, to “enhance the penalties that will fall on terrorists or anyone who helps them.” (Staff, 2009) Even though, the act increased intelligence agencies...
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...Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act, or USA Patriot Act was established on 26 October 2001 “just forty-five days after it was introduced” (Alex, Carrington, & Ward, 2008). The aggressive security measures combined with “the vague nature of the wording and the broad exception clauses” has steadily kept the light on the Patriot Act (Theissen, 2012). The Patriot Act was supposed to protect and builder a stronger defense against terrorism, to prevent future attracts on U.S soil. Instead it allowed law enforcement to violate the people’s civil right to privacy. It is an “example of a good idea gone too far [and] how the Patriot Act has been used in an effort to expand government powers in areas having nothing to do with terrorism” (Dempsey, 2012). Debatably, the amendment is written for open interpretation for law enforcement to use as they see fit. This is seen when “from 2006-2009, [Section] 213 was abused 1,740 times granting sneak and peak search warrants involving drugs [and] or fraud, … only 0.8% sneak and peak warrants were used in the suspicion of terrorism” (Timm, 2011). This is a clear violation of the Fourth Amendment which states, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause…” (Legal dictionary, 2012). Sixteen sections in the Patriot Act have what is called a Sunset Provision, meaning “a...
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...THE USA PATRIOT ACT--GOOD OR EVIL? Abstract Terrorism has been around in one form or another since long before September 11th 2001. It is our extreme reaction to the real threat of a terrorist attack began 9/11/2001. Although the odds of dying from a terrorist attack in America are extremely remote, after the attacks of 9/11/2001 and the overwhelming show of concern by American citizens, Congress hastily put together a bill outlining the workings of the U.S. Patriot Act. The United States Patriot Act of 2001 was signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2001. President Barack Obama signed the Patriot Sunsets Extension Act of 2011, which created a 4 year extension of 3 key parts of the Patriot Act. Warrantless searches of business records, roving wiretaps, & conducting surveillance of individuals suspected of terrorist-related activities not linked to any specific organized terrorist groups. The Patriot Act dramatically reduced restrictions on law enforcement agencies' ability to search all records, documents, histories, etc., without the restraints of the normal operations of judicial law which most citizens assume will always protect them. The National and State Governments and their agencies work together to implement the Patriot Act with as minimal an “obvious” intrusion as possible into ours, the American citizens lives. It is obvious the security must be there, but with a minimal amount of perceived disruption to constitutionally given freedoms and rights. US...
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...Often taught from infancy, which leads to deep seated beliefs about what it is and how a true patriot should act. Though intentions are well meant, this can and does lead to those who many would consider pseudo-patriots. These people who don’t seem to realize it, use their “patriotic” acts to further advance their own agendas. It makes it difficult for people who oppose them to vocalize their issues without seeming unpatriotic. These pseudo-patriots use their twisted love of country to press their ideals and choices onto others. They want everyone to agree with the majority and discount any who choose a different path than...
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...the Magna Carta in 1215 to the more current event of Operation Neptune Spear. Although many documents and plans have been beneficial to the well being of Americans, The Patriot Act and NSC-68 have been the most influential in American culture. They fundamentally have shaped the way we think, act and carry out government ideas. Even though the Patriot Act and NSC-68 involve two separate incidents, they still talk about some of the same issues. In the NSC-68 document, it highlights key differences between the military in the United States and that of the Soviet Union. It states that the military of the United States has a goal in doing things...
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...James Newberry Andrea Janovic Soc 111 21 April 2013 The Patriot Act Is Unconstitutional On September, 11, 2001, terrorist attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. They were probably going to attempt to fly a fourth plane into the White House. Most of us remember that day, where we were, and even what we were doing that morning; I know that I do. We all felt helpless and defenseless on that September day, and our overwhelming national response was to apprehend the people who had perpetrated this heinous act upon America. A week after the 9-11 attacks President Bush submitted a legislative proposal to combat terrorism called the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (Patriot Act). The Act passed in the Senate without debate. After minor changes were made in the House, the complex, 342-page bill passed 357 to 66 and was signed into law on October 26, 2001. This seemingly innocent law designed to protect Americans has had the opposite effect, eroding the civil liberties of U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens residing in the United States today. Shortly after 9/11 the government secretly arrested and jailed some 1,200 people in its investigation of September 11; they refused to divulge the number of arrests, the names of their lawyers, 0r even the reason for their arrests. Most of those arrested were Arabs...
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...representation in the British Parliament began to irritate citizens of the newly founded America. Some of the most prominent events were the French and Indian War, Tea Act, Stamp Act, Townshend Act and Coercive Acts. These events eventually sparked the American Revolution when the Colonial people decided they wanted to be free of British ruling (Brinkley, 2007). French and Indian War What motivated the British the most in the French and Indian war was the acquisition of land and generating revenue. The British parliament had depleted a large portion of its funds over several decades of war with other countries. They had knew they had to protect the newly acquired land in present day America because of the wealthy export business potential. The British had more to offer the Indian tribes than their French competitors, which made them a threat to the French. The British had a bad reputation with most Indian tribes because of their unwillingness to cooperate. The Indian tribes viewed the British as arrogant people because they imposed their ways on the Indians rather than accepting their ways of doing things. The American Patriots were stuck in the middle of the war in several ways. They were mostly British and French settlers, which made things conflicting when choosing sides. The American Patriots fought alongside British military with the understanding they would receive land in a form of payment, but were later denied that land. They also did not think...
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...Effects of USA PATRIOT Act on Banking Privacy Introduction On September 11, 2001, the United States was attacked by the terrorists and the attack has completely changed the way we live and work. Its impact is so immense that it covers almost every aspect of our life including the privacy protection policy in the banking industry. After the September 11 terrorist attack, the U.S. Congress passed a law, the USA PATRIOT Act that makes it easier for government law enforcement and intelligence agencies to gather and share information related to terror-related investigations and it has changed how the banking industry or financial institutions handle the privacy of their customers’ personal information. The purpose of this research paper is to explore the effects of the USA PATRIOT Act on banking industry’s handling customers’ private personal information. Some Background Information and History of Banking Privacy The USA PATRIOT Act is not an official title of the law. It is the acronym of the very long title of the Act: Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act of 2001. It was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001. But, before 2001, do we have any law that provides guidelines for the privacy of banking industry in the United States of America? Surely, there are several laws that are related to the financial institutions and the privacy protection policy...
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...constant. From the American Revolution to present time, the United States has always reserved the right to fight for what our founding father’s founded this country on, freedom from tyranny. September 11th, 2001 is an unforgettable day for every American. On this day, the ongoing threat to these beloved values and ideals was evident. A tangible attack on U.S. shores, that was the most devastating terrorist attack in United States history. Extremists evidently displayed their capabilities in a devastating fashion. Our security was breached and an elaborate plan of attack was executed by Al-Qaeda, an Islamist Militant organization founded by Osama Bin Laden. The U.S. responded by launching its "War on Terror", and the "USA Patriot Act" was quickly implemented. This was a landmark in the way we handle terrorist attacks, from that point moving forward. The ideals of being an American is something that each individual United States citizen understands and respects. These ideals have the right to be protected in the modern world. The Bill of...
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...Arguably the most controversial law put in place to protect the people was the Patriot Act. Put into action just 45 days after 9/11, the Patriot Act is still...
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...One of Brutus' motivations for killing Caesar was the fear that Caesar would gain too much power and as a result, the Romans would no longer have freedom. There is the opposing viewpoint, however, that believes Brutus did not act logically. Some could argue that he should not have killed Caesar based off of a fear that could not be proven. No one can see into the future. No one had any way of knowing exactly how Caesar would behave in the future. But in my opinion, it was better to stop Caesar before he had the chance to act negatively. Brutus spoke about this in act 2: "And therefore think him as a serpent's egg Which, hatched, would, as his kind, grow mischievous,And kill him in the shell." The worst thing that could've happened in the future was Caesar ruling as an absolute tyrant and no freedom left in Rome. It would have been too big of a risk to take to let Caesar live....
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...For instance, one of the Act’s provisions permits law enforcement authorities to use National Security Letters issued by FBI officials instead of warrants authorized by a judge. Thus, with these relatively low standards of proof warrants the Act permits federal agents to access wide range of personal information, such as medical, library, educational, financial, and travel records. In addition, the new law amends Privacy Act and Family Educational Rights by allowing law enforcement authorities to request and obtain student information “in conjunction with a terrorism investigation” (Hockeimer 2). It also grants intelligence authorities to secretly search suspects’ homes without any initial notification if the latter has “an ‘adverse result’ on the investigation” (Kassop 6); what is more, it prohibits “subpoenaed” business from telling anyone whose records were requested and investigated by FBI (Swartz “PATRIOT Act’s Reach Expanded” 1). As Barbara Dority, the president of Humanist of Washington, makes the case in her article “Your Every Move” published in The Humanist, the PATRIOT Act further broadens a definition of domestic terrorism describing it as “act[s] dangerous to human life that...
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