Heath Brake
5-14-23
American History II
9/11 Laws and Regulations
If someone were to ask, “where were you when the planes hit?”, most people could say exactly where they were or what they were doing. September 11, 2001, is a day Americans will never forget because it was the largest terrorist attack on United States soil. Not only did the attacks kill around three thousand people, but they also had long-lasting effects on the country. President George W. Bush declared war on terrorism around the globe and Congress passed new laws and regulations to help fight against future terrorist attacks. These include the USA Patriot Act and the formation of the Department of Homeland Security. The laws and regulations that have
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Citizens in airports now felt safer with the increased security measure. The United States as one learned important lessons that now help prevent the threat of any more attacks. Not only does the U.S. Department of Homeland Security protect us from terrorism but from other things too. With the added help citizens felt like the government was making an effort to protect them. When Osama Bin Laden was finally killed on May 2, 2011, people around the world celebrated his death. Many Americans felt justice due to his death and united once again (MacFarlane). However, while the country was trying to unite, the problem of hate crimes against Arab Americans was increasing and Muslims were given a label as terrorists. To help with this problem, President Bush used a speech to “condemn domestic hate crimes against Arab Americans, who suffered from scattered violence throughout the United States after the attacks” (MacFarlane). This showed the laws and regulations that were being passed were in no way trying to assume any Arab American were a threat, but to punish those that needed to be.
In conclusion, the laws and regulations that have been passed as a result of the 9/11 attacks have been helpful to American society because they combat the threat of terrorism, punish those that would support terrorist acts, and unite the country as a response to terrorists. With them, America has overall been safer from terrorist attacks, foreign or homegrown. “...America has not experienced any further large-scale terrorist attacks. The colorful character of Osama bin Laden and the exotic world of Afghanistan have largely faded from the news”