The Patriot Act
Protecting America Is Not Illegal
Not too long ago, there were 19 supposedly normal law abiding immigrants that lived normal lives, went to normal schools, and lived in normal homes. Yet everything we thought we knew about these people was wrong. On September 11th of 2001, these 19 “normal” men hijacked four airplanes and used them as terrible weapons. The iconic twin towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington DC were unfortunately brought down and reduced to rubble because of this heinous act. In the wake of 9/11, a national crisis occurred as everyone was left frightened. It soon became clear that it was time to institute newer, stricter laws to prevent an attack of this scale on US soil ever again. On October of 2001, the Patriot Act was signed into place. It granted government agencies more authority to …show more content…
surveillance potential terrorists and catch them. However, soon enough, many Americans began to question whether the Patriot Act was in reality threatening the liberties of Americans. Despite the claim that the Patriot Act violates the rights of Americans, the Patriot act should not be repealed because the Patriot Act prevents attacks, the Patriot Act allows intelligence agencies to more efficiently protect America by giving them more resources and authority, and because terrorists are getting smarter and more perilous online.
First of all, the Patriot Act has been of great help to authorities in intercepting terrorism. Lamar Smith, a Texas Congressman who has served in the US congress since 1987, points out that “The Act allows law enforcement officials to conduct investigations without tipping off terrorists. In some cases, criminals tipped off early in an investigation flee, destroy evidence, intimidate or kill witnesses, cut off contact with associates, or take other action to evade arrest” (Smith). In simpler words, the Patriot Act is of great help in preventing terrorist attacks. Prior to the Patriot Act, many terrorists when confronted would already be long gone because they knew the authorities were suspecting them. As a result, arresting terrorists in some cases took longer time. The Patriot Act fixed this issue. Now,
authorities can covertly examine suspects. They can collect data on suspects that can be used to issue their arrest while the suspect does not realize that the NSA, CIA, and/or the FBI are suspecting him or her. With this in effect, terrorists are being caught in greater numbers before they can cause harm and attack. Evidently, intelligence agencies have successfully been able to arrest 20 Al Qaeda members and 100 others who have been convicted of terrorism (Malkin 44). Hundreds more have been barred from entering into America (Malkin 44). In short, the Patriot Act is working and needed. Many of these terrorists would have never been caught if it weren’t for the Patriot Act. Imagine what would have happened if the hundreds upon hundreds of known extremists, murders, and criminals could have entered the country because the Patriot Law was repealed. The 9/11 attacks, which stole numerous lives, were caused only by 19 men. Their sole purpose was to take as many lives as possible from the American people. If hundreds of terrorists with the same ambition could have entered into the US, the massacre they would have created would have been unfathomable. Fortunately, Americans have the Patriot law that prevented this from happening. To conclude, the Patriot Act must not be removed since it has prevented and continues to prevent terrorist attacks from taking place.
Next, the Patriot Act was instituted to protect Americans by allowing intelligence agencies to have more authority and tools. Paul Rosenzweig reminds America that before the September 11th attacks, “US laws enforcement and intelligence agencies were limited by law in what they could share with each other. The Patriot Act tore that wall down-and officials have praised the act’s value”(Rosenzweig 15). In other words, before the Patriot Act, US law enforcement were very limited. The intelligence agencies were not able to share specific information with each because of regulations implemented by the previous law. The lack of communication created by the previous law in some cases between intelligence agencies prevented them from thwarting terrorists at a faster pace. Now by giving these agencies more power to share intelligence with each other, apprehending terrorists becomes easier and more efficient. If the Patriot Act had existed before, those 19 terrorists who committed one of the biggest crimes so far would most definitely had been caught by intelligence agencies before they could have attacked and killed thousands. The Patriot Act doesn't just end there, as Thomas Anderson from Discovery Institute puts it, the “Patriot Act gives investigators the ability to fight terror, using many of the same court-approved tools that have been used successfully for many years in drug, fraud, and organized crime cases” (Anderson). Essentially, before the Patriot Act, the resources that were available for law enforcement to fight other organized crime, were not available for law enforcement to protect Americans from terrorism. What many fail to realize is that in the 21st century, terrorism is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, threat to American national security. The September 11th attacks illustrate this issue at its worst. Therefore, it only makes sense for authorities to have the resources they need to end terrorism. The Patriot Act simply gave the NSA, CIA, and FBI the authority to get these resources and tools so they could have a better chance at protecting the United States. In conclusion, By intelligence agencies having more authority and resources, America is left better protected and safer from threats to national security.
Finally, the Patriot Act is a safeguard to internet users that may be at risk. Recently, ISIS and Al Qaeda, two of the biggest terrorist organizations in the word are now recruiting members, even teens, through Social Media platforms (“How terrorists are using social media”). Furthermore, they are getting so skillful at this technique, that they are able to cover up their tracks with encryptions (“How terrorists are using social media”). Going online in today’s world is far dangerous than most people believe. As the article mentioned, It is even more threatening for a teenager. Since some teens are not yet mature enough to recognize that they are being targeted and used by terrorists, terrorists from across the globe are attempting to connect with the American youth to recruit and to influence them. As one can see, terrorism is slowly and effectively poisoning the newer generations. Thankfully, the Patriot Act is helping to end this issue. As CNN News clearly reports “[Section 215 of the Patriot Act] allows law enforcements to use national security apparatus to go after suspected terrorists who may not be affiliated with a terrorist group, but share terrorist ideology and aims” (Diamond). Essentially, section 215 of the Patriot act helps authorities to investigate individuals who may not be complete terrorists, but those who are becoming involved due to social media. The Patriot Act is protecting Americans, especially the youth, by halting terrorist influences online before the damage they do can become permanent. Since, many parents cannot always watch what their children are reading online, the Patriot Act is helping parents monitor their children so they do not become influenced by evils such as Al Qaeda or ISIS. If the Patriot Act is repealed, then Americans will become vulnerable to terrorism online. All in all, because terrorists are getting smarter online, the Patriot Act is becoming more and more necessary to combat them.
Ever since the Patriot Act was signed into law, there has been much opposition against it. Former Vice President Al Gore claims that The Patriot Act allows authorities to enter into your home without a warrant and these ‘sneak and peek’ provisions of the Patriot Act puts American Liberties at risk (Gore 28). Upfront, the Patriot act may seem to violate an American’s rights, however this is not the case. As lawyer James Zirin puts it “ ‘The sneak and peek’ provision authorize the FBI after obtaining a warrant to secretly search homes, cars or offices of anyone, provided the investigation relates to terrorism. The significant change is the search is kept secret. Only law enforcement knows of it...Sneak-and-peak must be authorized by a federal judge satisfied the authorities have reason to suspect terrorism” (Zirin 32). Indeed, Authorities do in fact need a warrant to search a home that they suspect. Under the law and the Patriot Act, they are not allowed to investigate a home on their own will, as Al Gore claimed they could. Next, James Zirin proves that these ‘sneak and peek’ provisions do not violate American rights. Authorities can only search your home if you are suspected of terrorism by a court judge. Judges are experts who have studied law for years and only grant search warrants when they truly believe the home is worth being searched. Hence, the Patriot Act does not put America’s liberties at risk since it requires authorities to have a warrant and a reason to suspect terrorism. In short, the Patriot law is sometimes conceived as unlawful, however, as one can see this is not the case.
Even though, there is much opposition to the Patriot Act, it is very much needed in today’s world to counter terrorism because it thwarts terrorism, terrorists are becoming more intelligent in their means to harm America, and it provides intelligence agencies the authority they need to halt terrorism. Despite the claims that the Patriot Act is unlawful, the truth points to that it is not. There are many steps that Americans can take to make sure this truth is spread. Americans can discuss with someone who does not agree about the changes that the Patriot Act is making to end terrorism. They can even ask an agent in an intelligence agency how the Patriot Act has aided them in resolving terrorism. By spreading the word, Americans are helping to prevent “normal” men from ever hurting anyone ever again.
Not too long ago, there were 19 supposedly normal law abiding immigrants that lived normal lives, went to normal schools, and lived in normal homes. Yet everything we thought we knew about these people was wrong. On September 11th of 2001, these 19 “normal” men hijacked four airplanes and used them as terrible weapons. The iconic twin towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington DC were unfortunately brought down and reduced to rubble because of this heinous act. In the wake of 9/11, a national crisis occurred as everyone was left frightened. It soon became clear that it was time to institute newer, stricter laws to prevent an attack of this scale on US soil ever again. On October of 2001, the Patriot Act was signed into place. It granted government agencies more authority to …show more content…
surveillance potential terrorists and catch them. However, soon enough, many Americans began to question whether the Patriot Act was in reality threatening the liberties of Americans. Despite the claim that the Patriot Act violates the rights of Americans, the Patriot act should not be repealed because the Patriot Act prevents attacks, the Patriot Act allows intelligence agencies to more efficiently protect America by giving them more resources and authority, and because terrorists are getting smarter and more perilous online.
First of all, the Patriot Act has been of great help to authorities in intercepting terrorism. Lamar Smith, a Texas Congressman who has served in the US congress since 1987, points out that “The Act allows law enforcement officials to conduct investigations without tipping off terrorists. In some cases, criminals tipped off early in an investigation flee, destroy evidence, intimidate or kill witnesses, cut off contact with associates, or take other action to evade arrest” (Smith). In simpler words, the Patriot Act is of great help in preventing terrorist attacks. Prior to the Patriot Act, many terrorists when confronted would already be long gone because they knew the authorities were suspecting them. As a result, arresting terrorists in some cases took longer time. The Patriot Act fixed this issue. Now,
authorities can covertly examine suspects. They can collect data on suspects that can be used to issue their arrest while the suspect does not realize that the NSA, CIA, and/or the FBI are suspecting him or her. With this in effect, terrorists are being caught in greater numbers before they can cause harm and attack. Evidently, intelligence agencies have successfully been able to arrest 20 Al Qaeda members and 100 others who have been convicted of terrorism (Malkin 44). Hundreds more have been barred from entering into America (Malkin 44). In short, the Patriot Act is working and needed. Many of these terrorists would have never been caught if it weren’t for the Patriot Act. Imagine what would have happened if the hundreds upon hundreds of known extremists, murders, and criminals could have entered the country because the Patriot Law was repealed. The 9/11 attacks, which stole numerous lives, were caused only by 19 men. Their sole purpose was to take as many lives as possible from the American people. If hundreds of terrorists with the same ambition could have entered into the US, the massacre they would have created would have been unfathomable. Fortunately, Americans have the Patriot law that prevented this from happening. To conclude, the Patriot Act must not be removed since it has prevented and continues to prevent terrorist attacks from taking place.
Next, the Patriot Act was instituted to protect Americans by allowing intelligence agencies to have more authority and tools. Paul Rosenzweig reminds America that before the September 11th attacks, “US laws enforcement and intelligence agencies were limited by law in what they could share with each other. The Patriot Act tore that wall down-and officials have praised the act’s value”(Rosenzweig 15). In other words, before the Patriot Act, US law enforcement were very limited. The intelligence agencies were not able to share specific information with each because of regulations implemented by the previous law. The lack of communication created by the previous law in some cases between intelligence agencies prevented them from thwarting terrorists at a faster pace. Now by giving these agencies more power to share intelligence with each other, apprehending terrorists becomes easier and more efficient. If the Patriot Act had existed before, those 19 terrorists who committed one of the biggest crimes so far would most definitely had been caught by intelligence agencies before they could have attacked and killed thousands. The Patriot Act doesn't just end there, as Thomas Anderson from Discovery Institute puts it, the “Patriot Act gives investigators the ability to fight terror, using many of the same court-approved tools that have been used successfully for many years in drug, fraud, and organized crime cases” (Anderson). Essentially, before the Patriot Act, the resources that were available for law enforcement to fight other organized crime, were not available for law enforcement to protect Americans from terrorism. What many fail to realize is that in the 21st century, terrorism is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, threat to American national security. The September 11th attacks illustrate this issue at its worst. Therefore, it only makes sense for authorities to have the resources they need to end terrorism. The Patriot Act simply gave the NSA, CIA, and FBI the authority to get these resources and tools so they could have a better chance at protecting the United States. In conclusion, By intelligence agencies having more authority and resources, America is left better protected and safer from threats to national security.
Finally, the Patriot Act is a safeguard to internet users that may be at risk. Recently, ISIS and Al Qaeda, two of the biggest terrorist organizations in the word are now recruiting members, even teens, through Social Media platforms (“How terrorists are using social media”). Furthermore, they are getting so skillful at this technique, that they are able to cover up their tracks with encryptions (“How terrorists are using social media”). Going online in today’s world is far dangerous than most people believe. As the article mentioned, It is even more threatening for a teenager. Since some teens are not yet mature enough to recognize that they are being targeted and used by terrorists, terrorists from across the globe are attempting to connect with the American youth to recruit and to influence them. As one can see, terrorism is slowly and effectively poisoning the newer generations. Thankfully, the Patriot Act is helping to end this issue. As CNN News clearly reports “[Section 215 of the Patriot Act] allows law enforcements to use national security apparatus to go after suspected terrorists who may not be affiliated with a terrorist group, but share terrorist ideology and aims” (Diamond). Essentially, section 215 of the Patriot act helps authorities to investigate individuals who may not be complete terrorists, but those who are becoming involved due to social media. The Patriot Act is protecting Americans, especially the youth, by halting terrorist influences online before the damage they do can become permanent. Since, many parents cannot always watch what their children are reading online, the Patriot Act is helping parents monitor their children so they do not become influenced by evils such as Al Qaeda or ISIS. If the Patriot Act is repealed, then Americans will become vulnerable to terrorism online. All in all, because terrorists are getting smarter online, the Patriot Act is becoming more and more necessary to combat them.
Ever since the Patriot Act was signed into law, there has been much opposition against it. Former Vice President Al Gore claims that The Patriot Act allows authorities to enter into your home without a warrant and these ‘sneak and peek’ provisions of the Patriot Act puts American Liberties at risk (Gore 28). Upfront, the Patriot act may seem to violate an American’s rights, however this is not the case. As lawyer James Zirin puts it “ ‘The sneak and peek’ provision authorize the FBI after obtaining a warrant to secretly search homes, cars or offices of anyone, provided the investigation relates to terrorism. The significant change is the search is kept secret. Only law enforcement knows of it...Sneak-and-peak must be authorized by a federal judge satisfied the authorities have reason to suspect terrorism” (Zirin 32). Indeed, Authorities do in fact need a warrant to search a home that they suspect. Under the law and the Patriot Act, they are not allowed to investigate a home on their own will, as Al Gore claimed they could. Next, James Zirin proves that these ‘sneak and peek’ provisions do not violate American rights. Authorities can only search your home if you are suspected of terrorism by a court judge. Judges are experts who have studied law for years and only grant search warrants when they truly believe the home is worth being searched. Hence, the Patriot Act does not put America’s liberties at risk since it requires authorities to have a warrant and a reason to suspect terrorism. In short, the Patriot law is sometimes conceived as unlawful, however, as one can see this is not the case.
Even though, there is much opposition to the Patriot Act, it is very much needed in today’s world to counter terrorism because it thwarts terrorism, terrorists are becoming more intelligent in their means to harm America, and it provides intelligence agencies the authority they need to halt terrorism. Despite the claims that the Patriot Act is unlawful, the truth points to that it is not. There are many steps that Americans can take to make sure this truth is spread. Americans can discuss with someone who does not agree about the changes that the Patriot Act is making to end terrorism. They can even ask an agent in an intelligence agency how the Patriot Act has aided them in resolving terrorism. By spreading the word, Americans are helping to prevent “normal” men from ever hurting anyone ever again.