The Patriot Act Protects America

The Patriot Act Protects America

Since September 11, 2001 many people can say that America has changed. Many people question if America has changed for the better or has it just gotten worse. Since the day those four planes crashed around the United States people's lives have been changed. Many may not realize how their lives have changed, but with new laws passed life is different within America. The United States Patriot Act is one of the laws passed after 9/11: singed into order on October 26, 2001 just 45 days after the attack. The United States Patriot Act was put in place in order to protect Americans, yet has been affecting American's civil liberties and causing controversy all over the United States.

The U.S. Patriot Act was set in place to better serve our country against terrorism. The U.S. Patriot A.ct is an Acronym for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Acts (Lithwick). The patriot Act imposed increased penalties on terrorits who commit crimes. (Rottenberg ). This act is to punish terrorist actions and improve law enforcement not only in the United States but also around the world. The United States Patriot Act consists of over 1,000 sections that describe the act in great detail. The sections include, but are not limited to, the power extended to the government by The U.S. Patriot Act to deport and incarcerate non-citizens. With the U.S. Patriot Act a person's phone line can be tapped, records of any and all purchases checked, and even library records searched. This Act also has sections that help to expand our country's border protection, strengthening the extent of criminal laws and providing for people suffering from any type of terrorism acts (Huffman).

Some Americans think the U.S. Patriot Act goes against American's civil liberties. People feel their rights are being violated due to unnecessary searches that are condoned by the Act. Michael Moore, one of the people against the Act, has shown how the U.S. Patriot Act has failed at catching terrorist. Moore told in his video, Fahrenheit 9/11, how the FBI suspected a retired man of terrorism because he was talking negatively about Bush in the gym. A peace group was also apart of an investigation with the FBI because there was an assumption that terrorism could be involved (Moore). Each of these searches turned out to be nothing but an inconvenience for the victims. It has been said that the patriot act violates the Fourth Amendment, which states that the government cannot conduct a search without probable cause that a crime has been committed or will be committed ( Rottenberg ). In the aftermath of the terrorist attack of 2001 the people were willing to give up some of their rights to enhance public safety and the government enacted measures to protect the pubic. People have spoken out about how they feel their civil liberties are being taken away. A Michigan State study that was sponsored by the college of social science in March of 2004 stated that 52% of Michigan residents are more concerned about their civil liberties being affected. Where as the survey only concludes 46% feel protection takes priority over civil liberties (Townshend). The U.S. Patriot Act can be seen negatively through some people's eyes but through others it's the only hope to make America safe.

It can easily be argued that the United States Patriot Act is necessary for war on terrorism. The act has increased funding for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and counter terrorism funds. Expansion of National Electronic Crime Task Force has also been improved once the United States Patriot Act was passed. The increases of these funds have been able to fight the war against terrorism. The willingness of people to give up their rights in order to fight terrorism and their perception of whether or not they will need to give up some of their own liberties is