Civil Liberties Research Paper
Securing America and Protecting Civil Liberties
September 11, 2001 was one of the most devastating disasters that our nation had encounter. The fact that we had been targeted on our own land and the fact the terrorist were being trained being here in the United States put fear and a sense of insecurity in our nation. The terrorist attacks upon our nation prompt the Bush administration to make homeland security its top priority. The focus was to make an effort to prevent future terrorist attacks and to secure our country but at what cost? The outcome of the 2001 attacks was the creation of the USA Patriot Act which stands for “Unity and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to intercept and Obstruct Terrorism” …show more content…
Constitution. These laws contain the rights and liberties of our people. The U.S Constitution was established to protect citizens from actions perpetrated by government leaders. The Bill of Rights reflects the concerns for free speech, protection from police actions, fair trials through the courts and due process procedures ensuring citizens rights. According to O’Connor and Sabato civil liberties is “personal guarantees and freedoms that the federal government cannot abridge, either by law or judicial interpretation” …show more content…
The act called for enhanced security border control between Canada and Mexico. It also increased surveillance of potential terrorist and the expansion of police power. The problem lies when the authorities abuse their power. For example searches without warrants and targeting people because they look a certain way. It’s a touchy subject but I had to really think about how I felt about this subject. I feel that people’s rights are being violated but it’s a necessity to an extent. I am not comfortable with the fact that the government can obtain my medical records, financial, records, credit info, personal records, emails, and phone conversations or even come into my home without probable cause. Then I see the flip side where someone could be engaged in terrorist acts and the authorities would have a hard time eradicating it. I don’t know how law enforcement would be able to fight the war on terrorism if they can’t be a bit invasive. Another issue that I thought about deeply was racial profiling. It’s clear that racial profiling goes against our civil liberties and its
September 11, 2001 was one of the most devastating disasters that our nation had encounter. The fact that we had been targeted on our own land and the fact the terrorist were being trained being here in the United States put fear and a sense of insecurity in our nation. The terrorist attacks upon our nation prompt the Bush administration to make homeland security its top priority. The focus was to make an effort to prevent future terrorist attacks and to secure our country but at what cost? The outcome of the 2001 attacks was the creation of the USA Patriot Act which stands for “Unity and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to intercept and Obstruct Terrorism” …show more content…
Constitution. These laws contain the rights and liberties of our people. The U.S Constitution was established to protect citizens from actions perpetrated by government leaders. The Bill of Rights reflects the concerns for free speech, protection from police actions, fair trials through the courts and due process procedures ensuring citizens rights. According to O’Connor and Sabato civil liberties is “personal guarantees and freedoms that the federal government cannot abridge, either by law or judicial interpretation” …show more content…
The act called for enhanced security border control between Canada and Mexico. It also increased surveillance of potential terrorist and the expansion of police power. The problem lies when the authorities abuse their power. For example searches without warrants and targeting people because they look a certain way. It’s a touchy subject but I had to really think about how I felt about this subject. I feel that people’s rights are being violated but it’s a necessity to an extent. I am not comfortable with the fact that the government can obtain my medical records, financial, records, credit info, personal records, emails, and phone conversations or even come into my home without probable cause. Then I see the flip side where someone could be engaged in terrorist acts and the authorities would have a hard time eradicating it. I don’t know how law enforcement would be able to fight the war on terrorism if they can’t be a bit invasive. Another issue that I thought about deeply was racial profiling. It’s clear that racial profiling goes against our civil liberties and its