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The Patriot Act: Pros And Cons

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On October 26 of 2001, forty-five days after the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, Congress passed the USA PATRIOT Act, also known as the “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism” Act, or the Patriot Act. The Patriot Act was created with the intention of finding and indicting international terrorists performing on American soil; however, the adverse ramifications of the Act have been dire. Many of the Patriot Act’s virtues are in violation of the U.S. Constitution, a document outlined in order to protect American rights and freedoms. The Patriot Act infringes on the First Amendment rights, which is protects the of freedom of speech, …show more content…
The most frightening thing about the Patriot Act, is the fact that the Act grants the government to observe on any of its citizens. It does not need proof that the suspects are committing criminal acts before accrediting government surveillance. Even American citizens can become targets of Federal Bureau of Investigation surveillance easily because of the way they exercise their First Amendment rights. The Patriot Act fails to secure American liberties, it exposes Americans to potential abuses of power by creating an environment that encourages government corruption, while using national security as a guise for violating basic Constitutional rights like privacy and freedom of speech. Since its passing in October of 2001 it is has become clear that the Patriot Act has moved the United States away from an ideal society. The government needs the capability to oversee questionable terrorists, but the dilemma is in the way in which the government's overseeing occurs. The Patriot Act slips on the whole notion of balancing the desire between safeguarding American lives against terrorism and protecting the rights of Americans against potential government corruption. The upsetting part about the Act are virtues designed to bolster government power with limited checks and balances and limitless possibilities for …show more content…
Ordinarily the government can't search a civilian’s dwelling without first obtaining a warrant believing that the suspect has committed a crime. The Patriot Act breaches the Fourth Amendment by granting the government the right to search without a warrant. If the FBI is questioned about such actions, they simply state that the investigation is importance to national security, and that they are allowed to continue with their course of action. Now before ordering a search, the FBI has to obtain a warrant from a secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. This averts the FBI from misusing the power allowed to it by the Patriot Act. Albeit some Americans say, “I don’t mind the observation because I have nothing to hide from my government”, this rational is faulty for a few reasons. For starters, if the people know that their every move and actions are being observed they will feel less likely to communicate their feelings and applying their right to freedom of speech and freedom of thinking, this is exclusively so if the person’s thoughts are not what the government wants them to think. Secondly, by doing away with civil rights in order to obtain a sense of safekeeping, you are actually giving into what the terrorists hope to achieve with their mission of destroying ideals in the western world. The biggest reason to oppose the Patriot Act is the fact

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