Weeks after the September 11 attacks, Patriotic Act was designed in order to enhance federal anti-terrorism investigations. However, the Act has generated great deal of controversy after its enactment with its opponents vocally ascertaining that it was opportunistically passed after the terrorist attacks. They believe that there was very little debate, and view the Act as one of those acts hurried through Senate with little changes before passing it. The Act authorizes for secret record searches and roving wiretaps through new safeguards. Supporters of the Act say that the provisions have enhanced the information sharing within FBI and with intelligence community in general and this will help in dealing with terrorists that are technologically sophisticated.
Critics of the Act argue that the unrestricted information sharing would lead to massive database development about citizens that are not targets of the criminal investigations leading to violation of privacy for anyone that casually interacts with a suspect. Investigators are allowed by the provision to obtain records, books, documents papers and other items that are sought with regard to terror investigation and they say this Act will in a great way help in cutting off support networks that would otherwise make terrorism possible.
On the contrary, critics attack breadth of the provision, arguing that the law could be used in demanding reading library or bookstore patron’s records, and will consequently result to guilt by association. The greatest worry is the potential abuse by the National Security Agency that tends to overstep its bounds. Nevertheless, I stand by Patriotic Act and I support the specific targeting of terrorism by the U.S. government. However, there is need for a proper balance between the American security and civil rights. The government needs only to show information that is relevant to authorized investigation in order to avoid fundamental breach of the constitutional rights of Americans.
References
Cole, D., & Dempsey, J. X. (2002). Terrorism and the Constitution: Sacrificing Civil Liberties in
the Name of National Security. New York, NY : W. W. Norton & Co. p, 56.
Schultz, K. M. (2012). History 2nd ed. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning. p, 767.
Wong, K. C. (2007). The Impact of USA Patriot Act on American Society: An Evidence Based
Assessment. New York, NY : Nova Press. p, 43.
