The Patriots Act

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorCollege, Undergraduate February 2008

download word file, 3 pages 5.0

After the tragedy on September eleventh something called the Patriots Act was passed. This Act allows the FBI s to infringe on our personal liberties as Americans. It mainly takes away our rights that the 1st and 4th amendment gives us. I personally think that it infringes on our fourth amendment more than the first. The fourth amendment states; The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, ad effects, against unreasonable search and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue but upon probable cause.

With the Patriots Act in effect the 4th amendment might as well not even exist. The FBI can do basically anything they want to try and protect us. They can get library records, tap phones, see what websites you visited, and spy on you with you never having knowledge of it. Worst of all they do not even need to obtain a search warrant or have probable cause to do so.

I realize that this act was put into effect to try and protect us from another terrorist attack but the government went to far. There is no reason why they should have this kind of power to spy on American when the 4th Amendment clearly protects us from doing so.

The First Amendment states; Congress shall make no law respecting and establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise there of; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press. The Patriots Act infringes on the 1st amendment because you can be investigated simply by saying something or even just by going about your everyday activities. If the FBI thinks that you?re involved in terrorist activities just because you said something or because you are a certain religion they will investigate you, take your rights away...