The Patriot Act
Most people against the PATRIOT Act would say it is “unconstitutional” because it takes away our privacy, but what do you really have to hide? The law helps authorities to track down terror leads and dismantle plots before the public is in any danger. It focusses on terrorism and immigration, so why fear it? The basis for the PATRIOT Act is to balance out government power and keep the people safe. It is broken down into 5 main points to why we average civilians do not need to fear it, but rather appreciate it.
1. It protects civil liberties and provides for the common defense. The Constitution requires government leaders to respect and defend individual civil liberties but also provide for the common defense. The act works for our freedom, as long as it causes no harm to the safety of American Citizens.
2. Expectation of privacy is not unlimited. The Supreme Court has ruled that Americans enjoy a “reasonable” expectation of privacy; however, this is not an unlimited expectation of privacy. Anything one exposes voluntarily to the public like on facebook or twitter or even over a third party “private” chat—is not considered protected. Congress of course can expand these rights; however, these protections yield mainly to criminal and national security investigations. They only look for things that could potentially harm others.
3. The law provides significant safeguards. The PATRIOT Act does not provide investigators with unfettered power to spy on innocent Americans. What it does do is ensure that national security investigators have the same tools at their disposal to investigate terrorists that law enforcement agents have to investigate and prosecute drug dealers and rapists.
4. It has passed constitutional muster. No single provision of the PATRIOT Act has ever been found unconstitutional. This is a testament to the act’s limited applicability, procedural safeguards, and extensive oversight mechanisms as well as the fact that it often provides more
1. It protects civil liberties and provides for the common defense. The Constitution requires government leaders to respect and defend individual civil liberties but also provide for the common defense. The act works for our freedom, as long as it causes no harm to the safety of American Citizens.
2. Expectation of privacy is not unlimited. The Supreme Court has ruled that Americans enjoy a “reasonable” expectation of privacy; however, this is not an unlimited expectation of privacy. Anything one exposes voluntarily to the public like on facebook or twitter or even over a third party “private” chat—is not considered protected. Congress of course can expand these rights; however, these protections yield mainly to criminal and national security investigations. They only look for things that could potentially harm others.
3. The law provides significant safeguards. The PATRIOT Act does not provide investigators with unfettered power to spy on innocent Americans. What it does do is ensure that national security investigators have the same tools at their disposal to investigate terrorists that law enforcement agents have to investigate and prosecute drug dealers and rapists.
4. It has passed constitutional muster. No single provision of the PATRIOT Act has ever been found unconstitutional. This is a testament to the act’s limited applicability, procedural safeguards, and extensive oversight mechanisms as well as the fact that it often provides more