The USA Patriot Act

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USA Patriot Act 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, President George Bush stated, “Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorist” (Stern, 2004, p. 1114). Congress knew by signing the bill, they were expecting each American to give up a part of his or her guaranteed rights. Rights such as the right to privacy, free speech and the right to know when a citizen is being investigated by the government were just among a few. The act has been described as a “law enforcement wish list” (Stravelli, 2003, p. 1). The wish list allows law enforcement to “obtain people’s personal information and conduct surveillance, and in some cases impose secrecy on their law enforcement activities” (Update: USA Patriot Act, 2007, p. 1). The most controversial provisions of the Patriot act are those that changed the ability of law enforcement to conduct their investigations. Stravelli (2003) Addressing the issue from the law enforcement perspective, the Patriot Act has contributed to the fight against terrorism by allowing government agencies to share information. ... ... middle of paper ... ...tp://www.npr.org/news/specials/patriotact/patriotactdeal.html. Boykoff, J. (2006). Review of How Patriotic is the Patriot Act? Freedom Versus Security in the Age of Terrorism, by Amitai Etzioni. The Journal of Politics, 68(2), 457-487. Paye, J. C. (2006, November). A Permanent State of Emergency. Monthly Review, 29-37. Stern, J. (2004). Fearing Evil. Social Research, 71(4), 1111-1126. Stravelli, G. (2003, October 3). Federal law has had major impact on local law enforcement. Atlanticville, p. 1. Update: USA Patriot Act. (2007, Dec., 10). Issues & Controversies on File. Retrieved November 22, 2010 from Issues & Controversies database on the website http://www.2facts.com/article/i1000240l. Van Bergen, J. (2002). The USA PATRIOT Was Planned Before 9/11. Global Issues. Retrieved from http://www.globalissues.org/article/342/the-usa-patriot-act-was-planned-before-911.

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