Patriot Act

Paper Summary:

This paper relates that the Patriot Act is perhaps the most controversial piece of legislation in the United States today. The paper explains that any debate that the Act destroys the liberty and equality that are the country's very foundations while others feel that the Act provides the citizens of the United States with security, and that for this, it is necessary to give up some freedom. Indeed, these arguments use, as their basis, the preservation of the "American" way of life. The writer then argues that, ironically, this way of life is the very thing being threatened by the legislation. The writer concludes that the Patriot Act does more harm than good as it harms freedoms and tolerance that have been cultivated over many stormy centuries in the country's history.

Outline:
Background
Pros and Cons
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"In the view of many citizens, the hasty inception of the Act is a result of the imminent terrorist threat that loomed in the wake of September 11. However, far more sinister forces than a government that has the well-being of its country at heart, are involved. Indeed, most will be surprised to find that several of the provisions especially relating to electronic surveillance, were proposed before the attacks. These received heavy criticism before the disaster, but afterward were included in the Act without question.
"One of the political reasons for the quick introduction of the Patriot Act was the actions of Attorney General John Ashcroft. Under his authority, Congress had only one week for the decision to pass the bill without changing its content. The Attorney General heightened the political anxiety level by warning that further attacks were likely to be imminent. Hence, even with changes and improvements, the Patriot Act was introduced much sooner than it should have been, and with much less debate. Indeed, many of the improvements were overridden by the hasty negotiations necessary to pass the bill."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Abramson, Larry. Librarians Denounce Gag Order in Patriot Act Case. NPR, 2007, Aug. 14. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5440211
• ACLU. National Security: U.S. Patriot Act. 2007. http://www.acluprocon.org/bin/procon/procon.cgi?database=5-J-Subs.db&command=viewone&id=4&op=
• EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation). The USA Patriot Act. 2007. http://www.eff.org/patriot/
• EFF. Analysis of the Provisions of the USA Patriot Act. Oct. 31, 2001. http://www.eff.org/Privacy/Surveillance/Terrorism/20011031_eff_usa_patriot_analysis.php
• EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center). The USA Patriot Act. Nov. 17, 2005. http://www.epic.org/privacy/terrorism/usapatriot/

More papers on Patriot Act:

• Term Paper # 131411 : "The USA Patriot Act"
• Argumentative Essay # 129966 : "The Patriot Act's Impact on American Society"
• Analytical Essay # 134468 : "Opposition and Support for the Patriot Act"
• Analytical Essay # 141693 : "The Patriot Act"

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