Patriot Act

Do We Still Need the PATRIOT Act?


 USA PATRIOT ACT is about providing security and safety to citizens of USA and to prevent any national r foreign criminal activity or terrorist attacks. Also, it was created in response to 9/11 which was a definitely a big reality and a threat to all citizens of America. As this law provides safe and secure life to the people of its country, i think it still need to be in state of law because terrorism has not reached to its end in USA and people living in America still have right to live their life freely without fear of being targeted by any terrorism attack. Also it is the responsibility of Government to make such anti terrorism laws which can assure citizens of their safe lives. In this case, it is definitely true that this law is the need of people because they want there secure lives and no one in USA want to see any other attack similar to 9/11 and no one want to loose lives of their loved ones. 

So in conclusion, i would say PATRIOT ACT should remain in the state of LAW as it promises secure lives of Americans and protects people from domestic or international terrorists.




Patriot Act Needs an Update

The Patriot Act was put in place to protect and secure the American people, however, more than a decade later the act has not been altered to truly give back the privacy that the constitution promises Americans. While some sections of the Patriot Act are still very much a necessity, others can be altered or even removed to provide an up to date version of the act. In the place of these out of date sections new and , what should have been, required sections need to be inserted. Sec.101. Counterterrorism Fund, which serves as the introduction to the act, states that the fund is to provide finances to Federal agencies for a multitude of different reasons including reestablishing offices or facilities that have been damed or destroyed as a result of terrorism. Although this claus may be perceived as helpful we no longer have a direct and immediate need for this type of fund. To put it in perspective, other funds of the United States are severely lacking to say the least and Americans are suffering due to the misplacement of crucial money. 

In addition, the concerns of the Patriot Act should truly begin with the man in charge. "If an agent makes the required assertion that he or she believes information relevant to a terrorism investigation might be found, the court “must” issue the order without actually reviewing whether there is any justification for the agent prying into the affairs of someone who may not even be suspected of anything." - Susan N. Herman. This is where the trouble begins. With the amount of spying or "supervision" that agencies have the authority to conduct on any person(s) there need to be some serious revisions to make sure that authority is not being abused. 

Patriot Act

             The Patriot act is just a pretty painted legal opportunity slowly striping away U.S citizen’s rights. The patriot does have its perks when the person that they are targeting is actually planning a terroristic act. The problem that the government might “run into” is targeting individuals who show no sign of being a terrorist.

             In my opinion the Patriot act is simply racial profiling behind wires. After the nine eleven attack the news and other sources that deliver our information to us put the idea in the peoples head that anyone from the middle east is a terrorist and we should be afraid if we see these people in garbs and near tall buildings. With that being said             when the act was passed everyone thought it was a fantastic idea because it would only focus on the people who attacked our country.

            The issue with that is this act not only takes away the privacy of the citizens but takes away the right for us to know when it is happening to us as well. It is too much power for the government to have. The government gets to define what enough evidence and how appropriate it is for a tap to be done on someone’s phone, search emails etc.

            I honestly do not believe that the Patriot Act is explained to the citizens enough for them to understand exactly what it means and how it will affect them. I also believe that the Patriot  Act not longer serves as its original purpose if more citizens within the country are under surveillance than the “terrorist” we are trying to stop and keep track of. 

9/11 Short Film Response

After watching the different films based on the event of 9/11, I'm oddly conflicted.

In this film, a deaf woman has an intense argument with her boyfriend. At the end of the argument, the boyfriend storms out of the apartment and leaves his girlfriend home alone. While he's gone, everything around her shakes and she has no idea what's going on outside. Soon after the shaking stops, the boyfriend comes home covered in dust and crying. 

As a director, I was inspired. The entire film was silent, minus the vibrations of the shaking apartment. It made me think of the many different kinds of people that experienced 9/11, and how only one perpestive is told. It's always able-bodied men or women that can hear and see. I didn't even think of any other perspectives until I saw that film.

As an American, I was speechless. I was in first grade when the attacks happened, and as far as I could tell, that was a pretty good day for me. I got out of school early, and my family was all at my house so I got to play with my cousins. It wasn't until later when I was told the actual story did I understand how horrible that day was for Americans everywhere. And every year it's a reminder that we as a country are stil not over what happened.

USA PATRIOT ACT

There is no room for debate, at least according to the way in which this bill was passed. The patriot act was introduced for one over arching reason, terrorism. Even though it seems like terrorism has gone away and no need for the law and therefore should be abolished, right? No, wrong! It is more vital than ever to have this law in place, to show we are a strong country but also a smart one. If something happened once its bound to happen again if nothing is changed, If they got rid of this law it would be like wiping the slate clean allowing terrorism which could bring us mere moments away from a catastrophe like 9/11.  Why would one need to abolish this law and start a new? So people don’t get scanned at airports? There are two reasons people would decide against this law, one being convenience purposes because people rather be lazy then be safe or people don’t feel safe with their information/privacy in the governments hands. This law, the U.S.A.  P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act allows the government access to information they could use to help them capture terrorist. On a personal level I wouldn’t mind my privacy being “violated” if it is to help catch terrorist. Listening in on my phone calls, tracking web traffic? All they would find is I’m a nerd, laugh, and then move on. What are you teenagers hiding, your conversations with your special someone? The government doesn’t care.

 

Now I feel like a stronger rebuttal to this topic is the government has too much power, and I could see this being a problem in countries that are not the US. The Patriot Act simply asks if they could use information that they need access to help capture terrorist.

 

Imagine it like this… We go to a school in the School District of Philadelphia, in the SDP they filter websites and don’t allow access to certain websites, that they decide are beneficial or not. There have been times where you needed to find information or watch a video to complete a task and it was blocked. Well imagine the government trying to capture terrorists and they had a filter like this, figuratively. Imagine if they had these exact same filters. It holds back the process and delays the capture of terrorists, sometimes delaying them too much… 

Room for Debate: The Patriot Act

On paper I think that is law is great. It has the ability to prevent terrorist attacks form occurring as well as save thousands of innocent lives. The issue, like many other laws in the United States, is that it is very easily corruptible and has the possibility to be majorly misused. While yes, this law could be used to prevent evil it could also be used to create evil, and thus needs a better system of checks and balances before being further implemented. 
I totally agree that there needs to be some way to help prevent attacks against civilians and do not think that counterterrorism has become obsolete. That said there needs to be regulations put in place before any more sections of this law are renewed. There is no way to make a law 100% incorruptible, but permission to use these intelligence tools should not be given out so generously. 
In addition, law makers needs to be more clear about what they consider a threat. Being able to differentiate between a legitimate warning an and over reaction or stereotype is huge. Who is really in charge of regulating this law and what are the standards that they use? Like I said above, I do agree that the United States does need resources to help prevent terrorism, but the line needs to be drawn somewhere and as of now that line is not very clear. 

Room for Debate: The Patriot Act

On paper I think that is law is great. It has the ability to prevent terrorist attacks form occurring as well as save thousands of innocent lives. The issue, like many other laws in the United States, is that it is very easily corruptible and has the possibility to be majorly misused. While yes, this law could be used to prevent evil it could also be used to create evil, and thus needs a better system of checks and balances before being further implemented. 
I totally agree that there needs to be some way to help prevent attacks against civilians and do not think that counterterrorism has become obsolete. That said there needs to be regulations put in place before any more sections of this law are renewed. There is no way to make a law 100% incorruptible, but permission to use these intelligence tools should not be given out so generously. 
In addition, law makers needs to be more clear about what they consider a threat. Being able to differentiate between a legitimate warning an and over reaction or stereotype is huge. Who is really in charge of regulating this law and what are the standards that they use? Like I said above, I do agree that the United States does need resources to help prevent terrorism, but the line needs to be drawn somewhere and as of now that line is not very clear. 

To be or not to be? That is the question.

Nathan A. Sales states that the Patriot Act is needed to protect America from terrorists. He also states that there will be some elaborated safeguard measures so the officers are not going to abuse this power. However, when I watched "Enemy of the State" I can't just say that this movie is not going to happen in real life. Someday -hopefully never, someone inside of the government or someone with power will use the tools for their own vain needs.  


"This tool can only be used to investigate international terrorism, not domestic. And it doesn’t apply to Americans, only to temporary visitors like tourists." - Nathan A. Sales


I have some slight dilemma in this statement because what if, just what if, someone inside US and that is a citizen started to work for the terrorists? Because to be honest, we can never trust everyone because everyone has their own needs. The Patriot Act will give us more problems than we already have. Great power comes with great responsibilities. And who define the word "appropriate"? Also, what are the necessary tools that we need to prevent terrorism?


And where will be our privacy go? Just like Susan N. Herman said in her article, "The Patriot Act is jeopardizing the people's values, freedom of speech, association and religion, privacy and dude process." Everything that is being recorded can backfire and ruin everyone. Privacy is the big problem in this law.


It's not that I am fully hating on the Patriot Act, I am just trying to voice my opinion that this topic needed more time and tweaking for it to be okay. There has to be a lot of thinking and debate when it comes to this kind of protection. Yes, we need protection but this protection can be our weakness in the future. 

Patriot Act

I feel as though we should keep the Patriot Act because it ensures the safety of everyone. As shown in this quote. “As we lose some of our security, it is natural and proper for government to increase surveillance and other security measures..” This quote is valid because the less security we have the more the government will need to step in and take control. As many people don’t know their are restrictions and strict safeguards to the Patriot Act such as you must show proof as to why you suspect someone is a terrorist and you also must get a judge’s permission before tapping into anyones phone.  The F.B.I is flawed as well as everything else, nothing is perfect. Social media and technology has become so advanced that nothing is truly private. You don’t need the Patriot Act to have your privacy violated when you have social networks. The Patriot Act isn’t made to be in everyone’s personal life, instead it is to ensure that everyone is protected from terrorist and other threats to life. In conclusion, keeping the Patriot Act would be very beneficial and productive in the long run.

Patriot Act (:

America, being the top dog of the world, is not only a country with many hands to hold and many countries that are holding on with it. America is also a country with many guns pointed at it. Many envious hearts, and evil eyes. Though, America cannot stop the threats that people hold against, America can try to stop those actions that are have been and are being portrayed. One way that America has decided to help themselves and the citizens, is with the Patriots Act. There may be so much debate or whether the Act is good for us, or an invasion of privacy… what does one have to loose? Aside from if the Government uses this weapon as a way to "stop crime" , or if they use it as a way to block terrorism for the country. With my person opinion, a regular citizen should not care. The government does not have the time, space, or ability to care that your child may have stolen a dollar candy bar from a store and it calling all their friends about it. Rather, when there are physical and literal threats being announced to potentially bombing that family house. Now for a Mofia family, the privacy act may be a bit more threatening. So in result, only those objected to the act are those with something to hide. &Those who feel the act gives the government 100% lethal ability to override your life, don't understand that's NOT what it's for. I feel as if they could care less for the one individual, vs the millions around the country. If it's a way to protect us, then so be it. But if it's a way to get out of hand and ruin the lives of the people, then fight it. 

Do We Still Need The Patriot Act ?

In my opinion the Patriot Act has aspects in it where yeah it can prevent future attacks. However I do believe that some parts of the act aren't as clear as they should be. In "A Vital Weapon" Nathan A. Sales says that the agents are using tools that police officers have used for decades. Does this mean that all this time we suffer the risk of the government just being able to listen in our private conversations? Maybe so, in all honesty I think that people who are Pro the Patriot Act just want to make it seem as if there is nothing wrong with it. When in reality there are a lot of loose ends that need to be revised. In the same post it also said that "Agents can monitor a terrorist even if they havent yet found evidence he belongs to a foreign terrorist organization". How is it possible for these agents to just monitor someones daily lives and ways of communications without having any evidence that they are a threat? This to me is one of the biggest reasons why the patriot act needs to be looked over throughly to fix this loose end. In the end its all about being able to convince the judge, and that to me seems unfair. Shouldn't you be able to prove something with that big of a deal.

In "Too Many Needless Provisions" there was a case linked where agents requested the name of people who checked out a biography of Osama Bin Laden. When I read over the article it seemed so crazy for agents to ask for that type of information. Not ask but demand at that. How would checking out a biography of Osama Bin Laden make you a threat, why demand that type of information. Why violate peoples rights in such ways without having a structured reason why? Other point that I found interesting was why should people sacrifice freedom for safety. Not even, just because they are basically stalking people who are "threats" doesn't guarantee that we will be more safe. Sure it has helped in some ways, but the measures taken are a bit out of wack to me.


I also think that overall the Patriot Act is a way to jeopardize our constitution. It violates our privacy, something we shouldn't have to worry about.After finding out about this this whole act im even kinds freaked out just talking on the phone. What if someone is listening on in my conversation what if someone ever just knows my every move. I know it kind of is being dramatic but the whole thought of agents and the government being able to actually do this to other people freaks me out. 

Patriot Act (should be altered)


I believe that some provisions of the patriot act could just be removed all together, but it should still be an act that is upheld to provide a sense of safety.

I completely agree with the statement that "There is an inescapable tradeoff between security and liberty." In order to keep tabs on people or investigate, the government would require the ability to check up on, and closely watch persons of interest. At the same time, wire taps, financial  information, and  daily routines are things that the average person would rather keep private. I believe that it was okay for security to be balanced with liberty, but as attacks become more advanced and eminent , the government should adjust things to further ensure the general safety of its citizens, without being too drastic, like hidden cameras being placed in the homes of citizens.

The general conspiracy stereotypes of the government are supported with the way that the patriot act  can, and has been used by the government. It's a waste of money, resources, and just generally a waste of time if its mostly focused towards innocent citizens with less than positive views on some aspects of American Society. Many people would agree that the right to just take things (literally anything thats tangible) because they believe it to be suspicious or evidence without proper justification. The wire taps are bad enough, but the right to take things just because they want to is wrong.  Also, If government agents can actually order internet and library records on the spot, then there's something wrong. Without a real way of justifying their accusations, then they can just run through peoples private lives, without any regard for their rights and privacy laws.

If the patriot act is used for actually preventing terrorist attacks, and with good judgement, plus safeguards (like judge approval for wiretaps and other steps) then it should be left where it is standing, but theres still room for more consideration of the privacy and civil rights


Roomfordebate_-PATRIOTACT

To be completely honest Im not even sure if we till need the PATRIOT Act. It is as if it does not fully stand for what it was made to stand for. Yes everyone wants to feel safe to a certain extent of not having to worry about being in harms way on a daily basics. After 9/11 I’m pretty sure that the idea of being safe was no longer taking easy in the comfort of ones own home or even traveling from one place to the next as a daily routine. 

One thing the U.S. must remember is 9/11 is the past and we have to move forward in a positive manner an not get so wrapped up into the PATRIOT Act that we find ourselves reliving it by doing too many unnecessary investigations. There is a thin line between suspicion for protection an suspicion for insanity. In 1978 Congress decided to establish the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court as special and with that the Chief of Justice had to choose federal district judges to review applications for warrants in regards to any investigations that had to do with national security. Any agents that have to or feel as thought they need to investigate will go get a valid warrant that would be issued from a federal district judge and proceed with further investigation. The only problem with that is that most of the time if not all of the time agents whether is is the police, F.B.I, C.I.A etc tend to do a little investigation of their own before they go get a warrant. I feel as though a warrant should be issued before the investigation begins, if it is reasonable belief that an particular individual is creating harm to society then there should not be any problem with getting a warrant. 

There has to be some balance between trying to keep everyone safe from terrorism and not just bombarding the privacy of individuals. The PATRIOT Act was made to protect the citizens not hurt them, when agents do investigations and leave off at a dead end that does not make us feel any safe. It just seems as if the government is not doing their job to the fullest and are checking the backgrounds of the wrong people. 

So far the heighten surveillance seems to be working to some extent, for the simple fact that we have not had a repeat of 9/11 and for that I am very grateful. So I say it’s only needed if it will be in effect to stop terrorism an not just for tracking  personal information. 

RoomForDebate, PatriotAct, Activity1

Lianna Jordan

           

The patriot act is a U.S law that was passed in the wakes of September 11, 2001 terrorists attacks. Its goal was to strengthen domestic security and broaden the powers of law-enforcement agencies with regards to finding and stopping terrorists.

There are both pros and cons behind the Patriot Act. Some of the pros are the act is useful in assuring people that they are more protected from terrorist attack which is very unlikely to happen. It also makes some soldiers feel like they are trying to defend the act and increase the chances of men and women to join the army.

            The cons of this act is the simple fact that the bill of rights is being abused, it opens up a gate way to pass other bills like the “Cyber Security Act” which is a way to take control of the internet. I feel like this act gives the government too much power. I personally feel like the act means well inreffrence with the tourism, but the government has taken advantage of their inside power and are using this act to do whatever they feel is justice. I like the thought of the re-authorizing that Senator Ron Weyden; Democrat of Organ introduced a bill that would narrow the most controversial provisions of the act section 215. Unfortunately, President Obama, who supported a similar amendment when he was in the Senate, signed the Patriot Act re-authorization without insisting on the Wyden amendment. 

 

Room 4 Debate - Better Safe Then Sorry

The argument of whether or not the u.s.a p.a.t.r.i.o.t act is still needed is only a matter of placing safety and security on a balance scale along with freedom and privacy as well as a matter of being conservative or being liberal. In my opinion,there are many reasons why we still need the Patriot act. Some people may believe the act is interfering and messing with the American beliefs of privacy but I believe it is safer to invade someone's privacy then to end up dealing with another successful terrorist attack. Some people believe that the patriot act can only result in the government receiving too much power and having too much access. Beings though because of the patriot act 15 terrorist plots were disrupted, I feel as though America would be a lot more safer with the act then without. Although it is believed that the patriot act was/is being used for things other then preventing terrorist acts such as putting homeless people off the streets, I'd still believe that things could be much worse without it. The only reason someone could have a major problem with the patriot act was if they were up to something themselves. If you're not up to something, then why worry about the government worrying about you? There is no doubt on the patriot act being successful on what it was supposed to do which was prevent terrorist acts and that's why I believe we still need the u.s.a patriot act.

Room 4 Debate - Better Safe Then Sorry

The argument of whether or not the u.s.a p.a.t.r.i.o.t act is still needed is only a matter of placing safety and security on a balance scale along with freedom and privacy as well as a matter of being conservative or being liberal. In my opinion,there are many reasons why we still need the Patriot act. Some people may believe the act is interfering and messing with the American beliefs of privacy but I believe it is safer to invade someone's privacy then to end up dealing with another successful terrorist attack. Some people believe that the patriot act can only result in the government receiving too much power and having too much access. Beings though because of the patriot act 15 terrorist plots were disrupted, I feel as though America would be a lot more safer with the act then without. Although it is believed that the patriot act was/is being used for things other then preventing terrorist acts such as putting homeless people off the streets, I'd still believe that things could be much worse without it. The only reason someone could have a major problem with the patriot act was if they were up to something themselves. If you're not up to something, then why worry about the government worrying about you? There is no doubt on the patriot act being successful on what it was supposed to do which was prevent terrorist acts and that's why I believe we still need the u.s.a patriot act.

USA Patriot Act Editoral

After considering the opinionated articles from the New York Times, there are definitely people for and against the USA Patriot Act. However it seems like there are more people who agree that the act is and/or will deprive the American public of privacy that they deserve. I have to be honest that I am in agreement with some major points on both sides. Personally I think that hearts behind the creation of the USA Patriot Act we’re in the right place. The purpose of the act was to create a greater sense of safety. This idea in itself is reasonable, the problem lies within the limitations that should be set. Some of the things that this act allows are unnecessary. For example the government is allowed to check what type of books a person is interested in through their library records. I think it is interesting how people who check out a certain book can be viewed as suspicious. What about though, the person who wrote the book in the first place? Are they also viewed as suspicious?

This act in itself has redefined what a terrorist is because the requirements of being a suspicious person are not specific enough. Terrorism is the main concern, however many feel that the focus is to take over the lives of Americans by invading their privacy. Certainly this would raise debate because privacy is something that Americans feel like they are owed. Americans want safety but not at the cost of losing their privacy. Something could and should be done to please them in both ways. Maybe the techniques that are allowed by means of this act could be change so that innocent Americans aren’t being interrogated, in a sense. If efforts to protect the U.S continue to be put in the wrong place it may turn out for the worst. One comment brought out that this issue may be leading us closer and closer to a dictatorship. Another said that essentially the terrorist have won because of this controversy. Both of these statement are exactly what we don’t want to happen so I think its best that the whole act should not be changed rather some pieces should be tweaked. If not, our reality will become the fiction of Tony Scott’s Enemy Of the State.

A need for the Patriot Act?

The Patriot Act breaks out to be a law that is empowered by the government, which beholds enforcement's such as surveillance and investigations. I, certainly believe that the Patriot Act has protected the U.S from virtuous attacks. People may consider dropping the law because they have the attitude of "we're not going to get hit anymore" or something along them lines. But, No! If we drop the law that will draw more attention and it would take away our own safety and outlooks upon our radar. If there was one thing, just one thing that George W. Bush did correctly, it would be signing the Patriot Act law. On another hand, is the Patriot Act a threat to the bill of rights as well? 'We're losing security and liberty, inescapably'; although we're just gaining and adding more surveillance. I most certainly agree with Eric Posner, he thinks we still need the Patriot Act. 'If not the whole law, at least some portions to protect people from threats to their safety.' I think we should still keep the law, simply because nothing happened within 11 years since the terrible attacking from 9/11. Besides, what will we do without radars and surveillance to protect us from oncoming attacks? Is there another method?

The PATRIOT Act: The Actual Terror Plot

​The PATRIOT Act promises national security and was built to specifically seek out just that by preventing further attacks from the enemies of the United States of America. Safety sure does sound good doesn't it? Especially after an unforeseen event like 9/11. But what the PATRIOT Act is, is in fact, a mystery to most of the citizens of this nation. What does the act entail exactly? What are the specifics? Are we being taken advantage of? Hey, I did't even know about the PATRIOT Act until we discussed it in class to tell you the truth. But I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one oblivious to what the government has put in place for us. Heck, who isn't?

The PATRIOT Act leaves many in the dark since it was truly an emotional response rather than an appropriately weighted idea. I get it though. 9/11 was definitely a big hit to the US and threatened national safety for years to come. But like any other emotional response, it wasn't thought through. It was an act of fear, and fear breeds repression. Instead of actually seeking out potential threats of this country, we instead, turn on our own citizens and view them as potential threats. That doesn't sound like safety to me. Instead it is another additional fear that has been placed in society by the government. 

It says a lot about our society when even the most (we would like to think) level-headed officials and politicians are deterred when it comes to important decision making. Like I have stated before: yes, 9/11 was a big hit. But if our nation's leaders, the people who we depend on for the well being of our country, can't even sit down and actually plan out the right course of action, it can't help but lead to distrust. I mean, right now as I write this, I can't help but feel like I'm being monitored by a mysterious van a block or two away from my house. I think that says a lot. To not have ease of mind when you are simply speaking your mind is ridiculous. What happened to the First Amendment? Did the PATRIOT Act ink in fine print now that says: "Unless we think you're a terrorist."? 

As much as I disagree with how the and what the PATRIOT Act stands for, it has bound to have worked on more than one occasion. I'm guessing here because, like the PATRIOT Act, it's a mystery. The government is a huge mystery to me. They give out facts and numbers on how many terror plots have been suppressed or stopped due to the PATRIOT Act. But I can't tell for sure if those are factual representations or if it's just to fluff up the PATRIOT Act so the government can still have full access to every person's life. I just don't know. If you round up all of the citizens of the United States, all their opinion will equate to "I don't know.", since we all can't even agree what the PATRIOT Act actually is or entails. I'm not willing to just give up my civil liberties, and neither is the whole population of this country. The PATRIOT Act should be revisited and tweaked to detract from infringing the rights of the people and the foundation that this country was built upon.


Enemy of the State review

Well, the movie starts off very dramatic, setting the scene and mood with music and sudden killing. That alone establishes the government as crooked and twisted. So, just because of that I tried to think in an unbiased way and even tried to defend the actions of the government. I wanted to think in the terms that they truly set the Patriot Act for the protection and security of the American people however, I really couldn't ... good director skills. In the movie they didn't particularly cover how they handled the citizens' privacy because they only showed the extremes that one man and his team would go to cover up their own secret. I think, however, that it  clearly showed the lack of surveillance that they themselves get considering the many people they watch. I think, despite the overall movie, that the amount of access that they have is effective, they did after all locate their target, but based off of the movie there should be a more secure system of checks and balances within the agency that helps with keeping their tools for appropriate uses. Of course, appropriate referring to their keywords i.e terrorist,bomb,president as they mention in the movie. There has to be at least half of the evidence that one would need to convict someone in order to bug and surveillance to such extremes. I think there is a definitive line between using the act for personal and criminal purposes rather than for national security and that is where our freedoms end and injustice begins. 

The (Consequences) of Our Best Ideas

The power that the Patriot Act allows the government to yield is unnecessary to achieve the means it sets out to accomplish. For example, the pieces of the law that allow agents access to library records is completely bogus. The possibility of abuse of this law is far greater than it's ability to do good. Rather than actually taking a hard look at the consequences of our best idea- being national security- pride and patriotism or shaming others for lack thereof in questioning this law has brought us to hastily procured legislation that restrict basic freedoms set in our Constitution. 

The threat lies in the fact that most common citizens, let alone the Senate or House members, don't understand its provisions whether they be positive or negative. Rather than attempt to improve international relations thus making those suspected of terrorism less inclined to hate us on principle, we relinquish our freedoms from ourselves by letting the law go as it stands now without further dissection. I believe with the amount of corruption within the government and the judicial system, individual courts or FBI agents with NSLs should not be able to pick and choose who has their Constitutional rights taken away based on suspicion like what types of books they like to read. 

I am not saying in any way that we should not investigate possible terror plots, but the current standing of the Patriot Act puts the basic everyday rights of citizens in jeopardy when they are not the ones who should be suspected of terrorism. The position of, "well if you're doing nothing wrong then it shouldn't matter, right?" grinds my gears especially. So basically, you're not religious so you shouldn't have the right to practice any religion you want anyway. We all think you're guilty, so you don't need a fair trial anyway, right? 

The patriot act

The Patriot Act will remain a controversial issue for the days, months, and years ahead. The Patriot Act is looking to stop terrorists and make our country safer. We as people have safety concerns everyday and there's always a risk of getting hurt in some way. In the NYtimes article they say that although the threats from Al Queda have diminished that the Patriot Act is still necessary to protect the people from possible threats. It also said that the Act isn't only for terrorists and and Al Queda, but ordinary criminals that affect our everyday lives. The tracking of communications is what throws me off. But thinking about it logically if you aren't doing anything wrong, then there shouldnt be a problem with someone tracking your calls right? Yes that is a complete invasion of ones privacy but in the long-run it could be helpful to stop henious crimes. In my opinion this ACT should remain a law. It's helped us and who knows what's going to happen next it could be very prominent in the future. 

Patriot Act

After reading the different essays in the forum about the Patriot Act, it's obviously clear that there is a number of people that agree and disagree with the provisions of this act. It causes quite a swarm of debate about whether or not we still need it, and whether or not it's useful today. The safety of the citizens in this country is the main concern. That is all that the government is trying to accomplish with this act.


It's important to note, that this act does not just focus on international terrorists, but also terrorists within our own country. The act does not focus on "innocent" Americans, so no one should be too worried about being "spied" on, unless they're doing something they shouldn't. Basically, the government won't waste their time spying on anyone that does not need to be watched. They focus on people that have the potential to harm others. 


Due to the rise of technology, and more resources available for people to purchase (legally, and illegally), I believe that the act should still be a law. The security, and safety of the citizens should never be compromised, and should continue to be the highest priority for this government. Although some may be unaware, this act has actually stopped more than 30 terror plots. So, while some may think this is wrong, and unjust, it's better to think about how this has helped, rather than how it hurts. 

Room for Debate

The reason behind the PATRIOT ACT being established was due to terrorist attacks that had occurred on September 11, 2011. To be cautious for the wellness of our nation, is to have the PATRIOT ACT alive today.
The PATRIOT ACT is not only being used for terrorists but for the typical criminal. Though, it shouldn't be used to spy on innocent Americans. For the government to be able to see every move you make when ever they feel the need to "check on you" is a little too much. But also, Americans should take in consideration the benefit of the doubt. Images and actions can fool you. 
It's the government using common sense. If the nation loses its security, then it should be allowed to maintain surveillance. Although today their may not be terrorist attacks as serious as the 9/11 attacks,  America needs the PATRIOT ACT-or at least some portions of it- in order to secure American's safety. 

It's Time for Reform

The USA PATRIOT Act has been at the forefront of our national security debate since it was passed after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. This legislation sped through both the House of Representatives and the Senate with little debate in an overwhelming feat of bipartisan cooperation. The PATRIOT Act gives increased power to law enforcement agencies to combat terrorism at the expense of some of our civil liberties. One question that should be asked eleven years after the 9/11 attacks is-What parts of the PATRIOT Act do we actually need?

This act is credited with thwarting dozens of terrorist attacks since its introduction. The PATRIOT Act helped to further modernize our anti-terrorism laws and capabilities in the wake of increased worldwide technology usage. An example of this is Title III of the legislation. This provision seeks to prevent terrorist groups from receiving funding by requiring banks to monitor for money laundering. It is so easy in this modern world for anyone to donate money to a cause, and some people choose to support terrorists. Title IX is arguably the most logical clause of the PATRIOT Act since it promotes the sharing of essential intelligence between government agencies. The 2001 attacks could have been prevented if the NSA had passed on known information about the activities of the bombers to other law enforcement agencies such as the FBI. There are many other similar provisions of this act that helps to keep America safe, but at the same time, other provisions infringe on our civil liberties.

The PATRIOT Act infringes on people’s right to privacy through covert wiretapping and surveillance. In light of this, it is also important to note that this infringement is necessary in order to protect the larger population. Covert surveillance is often needed to monitor and apprehend suspected terrorists. The right to privacy is one of our civil liberties that we have to sacrifice in the name of security. We need to realize that we cannot have our cake and eat it too.

There are other provisions of the this law that goes too far. The PATRIOT Act gives the government the power to detain terrorist suspects without charges and deny them access to lawyers and the due process of the law. These parts of the law infringes upon the rights are guaranteed under the Constitution. These rights are definitely more important than national security and should not be sacrificed. This is some of the language that should be removed from the PATRIOT Act.

The USA PATRIOT Act should be reformed to respect rights that are guaranteed to us under the Constitution. Many provisions of this act helps to protect the United States from terrorist attacks like 9/11 and should be kept in place. It is never acceptable to sacrifice our constitutional rights in order to protect against terrorists.