The Patriot act: unjust

Essay by collinm220 March 2006

download word file, 7 pages 5.0

2,296 innocent people died in the terrorist attacks committed by the Muslim fanatical group Al Quada on September 11, 2001. This day, which will forever live in the hearts and minds of the American people, revealed a new vulnerability that many US citizens had never before recognized. In the wake of the devastating attacks a cry for help was heard all over America, and a quick response was prompted by President George W. Bush and his administration. This response was given in the form of a legislation known as the Patriot Act. This act, which was quickly advocated and loosely reviewed at first, has sparked a controversy over the need for security, and the civil liberties that are being infringed upon in order to receive this security. Congress enacted the Patriot Act by an overwhelming margin arming law enforcement with new tools and greater power to detect and prevent terrorism.

The Senate was almost unanimous in its vote, passing the bill by a 98-1 margin, The house of Representatives margin was almost equally impressed with the act by voting in support by a 357-66 vote. The reason for this lopsided vote is because many of the politicians had no idea what The Patriot Act entailed and didn't bother to find out. The provisions of the Patriot Act, in short gives the government:

the right to conduct secret searches of civilians homes, power of phone and internet surveillance, access to highly personal records with minimal judicial oversight, allowance of the FBI to investigate American citizens without probable cause of crime, the permittance of non-US citizen jailing based on mere suspicion, and the indefinite detainment, in six month increments, of suspects convicted of no crime (USA PATRIOT ACT).

Without a warrant or probable cause, the FBI can now search your...