Essay on The Patriot Act Keeping America Safe - 1920 Words

On September 11, 2001, the United States was shaken when the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City fell and thousands were killed. The very real dangers of terrorism were made perfectly clear that day. The government had to find out why this atrocity had happened, and, more importantly, they had to stop it from happening again. But how could the U.S. stop an attack they never saw coming? Deciding the best route of action was to catch the terrorists before they could do any more harm, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, or USA PATRIOT Act, was passed. The Act was approved by both the House of Representatives and Senate with very†¦show more content†¦Before September 11th, terrorism concerned many people, but it did not seem a personal threat to the citizens of the United States. The majority of previous terrorist attacks were outside of the U.S., and the few inside appeared as small, isolated incidents. The government and its citizens alike were largely unaware of the terrorist group called Al Qaeda, to which the attacks were later linked. No one possessed any real evidence of a large plot against the United States. Yet many today ask, â€Å"How did the government not see this coming? How did they miss the clues?† Before the incident, the government may have acquired enough separate pieces of information about the impending attack to have stopped it. The problem was, however, that the different agencies that worked on counterterrorism were not coordinated, and no single division had enough evidence to catch the attackers until it was much too late. Looking back on the event, people realized that if the government had the ability to exercise more authority, the bombings could potentially have been stopped. (Scheppler 14) The day after the Twin Towers fell, a meeting was called by the U.S, Justice Department officials. They needed to determine where the governmental system had failed, and they aspired to draft a new law that would hopefully keep such an event from happening again. (Scheppler 25) This new piece of legislation was comprised of several smaller pieces, mostly theShow MoreRelatedThe United States Patriot Act923 Words   |  4 PagesBush enacted the USA Patriot Act. George bush has been quoted Stating â€Å"Terrorism against our nation will not stand† (Jones 2) a message which was hit home by the enactment of the USA Patriot Act. The Patriot Act gives law enforcement agencies increased powers enabling them to apprehend terrorist. The USA Patriot Act was enacted by congress on October 26, 2001, with the idea that it would help a crippled nation combat terrorism. The act of terrorism which is described as the act of using violence toRead MoreThe Patriot Act; Agree of Disagree877 Wo rds   |  4 PagesThe Patriot Act: Agree or Disagree Amanda Collier ENG/215 August 27, 2012 Bruce Massis The Patriot Act: Agree or Disagree President George W. Bush signed into law on October 26, 2001 The USA PATRIOT Act. The title of the Act is a letter acronym: Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (PUBLIC LAW 107–56—OCT. 26, 2001) This Act was written to prevent and punish terrorist acts here in the United States as wellRead MoreThe Patriot Act Of 2001 Essay1224 Words   |  5 Pagesfamily, and in a blink of an eye our lives in America changed forever. We were attacked, on our own soil, not once, but four times. That fourth plane didn’t make it to its destination, thanks to the brave souls aboard that sacrificed their lives to save others. On that fateful day 2,753(NYmag) families would never be the same, as well as the rest of us that watch in disbelief. The attacks on September 11th 2001 led to something called the Patriot Act. In the days after 9/11 Congress hurried to passRead MoreUSA Patriot Act Essay1210 Words   |  5 Pagesbefore a violation of peoples right to privacy, are now allowed to be used without probable cause. These tools now allow the FBI to find terrorists before they commit their act of violence. These surveillance tools that are now allowed to be used by the FBI were passed under the USA Patriot Act. Given that the USA Patriot Act now allows the FBI to look through what many people may consider private, many questions may arise. For instance, what does the FBI have rights to monitor? Who does it affectRead MoreThe United States Patriot Act1533 Words   |  7 PagesAmerican Gov. Term Paper Patriot Act On September 11, 2001, the Unites States suffered massive destruction caused by terrorism. Four planes were hijacked by terrorist. Nearly, three thousand lives were lost when two planes crashed into the World Trade Towers, one crashed into the Pentagon, and the final plane crashed in Pennsylvania before it could reach its final destination. An immense fear spread across the country and out of this fear came the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing AppropriateRead MoreSurveillance During The United States1747 Words   |  7 Pagesterrorism. I will be talking about the 9-11 bombings which was a day that no one can forget and which shuck up the whole of America. I will examines the factors contributing to the escalation in surveillance and its effects after 9-11 and what is being done against security and stopping terrorism happening. Also I will be talking about the NSA and what they are doing to stop acts of terrorism from happening. Introduction What is Surveillance? Surveillance is an observation of a person or groupRead MoreThe Patriot Act1467 Words   |  6 Pagespledged to respond within boundaries set by the Constitution confronting and preventing terrorist attacks. Through Patriot Act, the law enforcement agencies of the Untied States are given the most effective tools to combat terrorists having intentions or plans to attack the nation. It is, in fact, a significant weapon for nation s fight against terror. Major purpose of the Patriot Act is to break wall of regulatory and legal polices existing between the law enforcement agencies and intelligence toRead MoreThe Patriot Act And Homeland Security Act Of 20021329 Words   |  6 PagesStrengthening Americas by Providing Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001(USA Patriot Act) and the Homeland Security Act of 2002. While the USA Patriot Act and Homeland Security Act of 2002 have formed the backbone of terrorism laws in the United States, they are not without their problems, especially in terms of how far they infringe upon the right, freedom, and liberties of the public. As its full name suggests, the purpose to the USA Patriot Act is to provideRead MoreThe Importance Of The Salem Witch Trials And The Cold War1454 Words   |  6 Pagescountry? How would you feel if you lost a loved one through a tragedy that could have been prevented? Throughout history, the necessity of witch-hunts has been questioned; to answer this question, we must ask ourselves how these hunts have kept us safe. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller describes the â€Å"perverse manifestations of panic† in Salem, MA, as Puritans accuse their neighbors of practicing witchcraft (Miller 5). Miller sarcastically reveals the true motives of Salem’s judicial system and accusersRead MoreShould Civil Liberties Be Restricted During Times of War1571 Words   |  7 PagesNaval Base. The country was in a state of panic and a response was needed to make Americans feel secure. Less than five decades later a similar attack devastated America. Similar to Roosevelt, George W. Bush was ca tapulted into taking responsive action after the September 11th terrorist attacks on U.S soil. His response was the Patriot Act. It was our founding fathers intentions for the people of these United States to be sheltered by liberty and freedom, however, it’s clear that later day presidents