Patriot Act

The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (USA PATRIOT Act) was signed into law by President George W. Bush in October 2001 shortly after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. (White House.gov 2006) The act was put into law to help law enforcement with the war on terror. The PATRIOT Act was supported by most of the members of Congress and it did not matter if they Democrats or Republican. The powers given to law enforcement and government have been in debate since the act was passed into law. There have been updates to the PATRIOT Act. On March 9, 2006, President Bush Signed The USA PATRIOT Improvement And Reauthorization Act Of 2005. (White House 2006) This allowed law enforcement to continue to use the benefits of the PATRIOT Act against terrorism both domestic and foreign.
    The debate over the PATRIOT Act is ongoing. There are people who believe the PATRIOT Act is unconstitutional and the civil liberties of U.S. citizens are in danger. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has been an advocate against the PATRIOT Act. The ACLU has been quoted saying, “PATRIOT propaganda, A new Justice Department website purporting to “dispel the myths” about the controversial PATRIOT Act in fact creates fresh myths about the law and gives new life to old ones.” (PATRIOT Propaganda 2003) The other side believes the Act is working and law enforcement has an advantage in the war on terror. The safety of the people of the U.S. and counter terrorism are the priorities of law enforcement from the FBI to state, county, and local agencies.
    A disadvantage of the PATRIOT Act is Section 213, sneak and peek warrants extend the authority of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) searches to any criminal search. This allows for secret searches of one's home and property without prior notice. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an advocate against the PATRIOT Act. The ACLU believes... [continues]

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