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Introduction to the USA PATRIOT Act
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Introduction to the USA PATRIOT Act
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Introduction to the USA PATRIOT Act
Essays on government surveillance
Introduction to the USA PATRIOT Act
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Recommended: Introduction to the USA PATRIOT Act
Scialabba v. Cuellar de Osorio (2014) challenged the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1998 and the Child Status Protection Act, which allowed the automatic conversion provision of visa petition dates in cases that qualified. Cuellar de Osorio, a United States permanent resident, had petitioned for her son to receive a visa as a permanent resident of the U.S. in 1998. The date in which a petition is filed, the date is known as the “priority date” which serves as a ‘ticket’ in our immigration visa process. However, the Cuellar de Osorio’s visa petition did not appear in front of the ‘visa line’ until 2005; at which point, Cuellar de Osorio’s son had already turned 21 making him ineligible for the visa which was categorically filed as a derivative
This act increased the federal powers imposed on the citizens in order to help their efforts towards investigating terrorists. These powers included telephone taps, internet taps, voice mail, grand jury information, immigration, money laundering, and crime. While these powers made it easier for the government to track down possible suspects of terrorism, it interfered with the people’s right to privacy. All the provisions under the Patriot Act can be used on the citizens with the approval of a court order. Furthermore, it interfered with the Fourth Amendment.
The moment that the Twin Towers fell in New York, America became destined for change. In the wake of these attacks, the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 was quickly passed through congress, and signed by then-president, George W. Bush. The act itself gives the FBI and other government agencies the ability to do and use certain methods, many of which are already used by other law enforcement organizations, to help prevent future terrorist attacks. Since then, this piece of legislation has been the center of much debate and controversy. But, there is ample reason to believe that the Patriot Act is needed and effective.
Recently the right to privacy has been severely threatened by the Patriot Act. The USA PATRIOT ACT, which was made a law on October 26, 2001 by president George W. Bush, let criminal investigators use whatever tools necessary to find terrorist attacks before they happened; USA PATRIOT ACT is short for "Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001". This was made a law in response to the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center in NYC on September 11, 2001. Law enforcement officials were given better resources to fight financial counterfeiting, smuggling and money laundering schemes that funded terrorists. The Patriot Act’s definition of terrorism also gave
After the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, the United States government reacted quickly and firmly with the USA PATRIOT Act (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism). The purpose of this act was to prevent another terror attack of the same magnitude as the 9/11 attack, but some people believe this act encroaches too heavily on civil rights. The USA PATRIOT Act (Patriot Act) threatens liberty more than it hinders terrorism, goes against the Constitution, and needs to be modified so it doesn’t breach the Constitution. The USA PATRIOT Act interferes with the liberties of companies and people in the United States while doing more to impact lawful Americans than terrorists.
Ever since the Patriot Act came into effect, innocent Americans have been caught in the middle of a “danger zone” where they can be spied on and tracked at all times. The Patriot Act would be much more advantageous if the purpose was to catch regular criminal activity because that is virtually all it has done. To put into context how far the powers of the Patriot Act are being misused, in the span of three years (2003-2006), the FBI “issued 192,499 NSL’s of which only one led to a terror-related conviction, which would have occurred even without the Patriot Act” (Science of Security). Not only that, “as a result of 143,074 NSL’s issued between 2003 and 2005, the FBI made 53 reported criminal referrals to prosecutors of which 17 were for money laundering, 17 related to immigration, 19 involved in fraud, but zero were terror-related” (Justice). Lastly, “of the 3,970 sneak and peek searches in 2010, 76% were drug related and 24% were accredited to other crimes, while less than one percent were terror-related” (Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts for Delayed-Notice Search Warrants and Extensions).
The Patriot Act is supposed to improve “our counter-terrorism efforts in several significant ways” ("What Is the USA Patriot Web."). This act allows law enforcement the tools to investigate organized crime and law enforcement agencies to share information to improved cases. The Patriot Act made it easier for law enforcement to retrieve the evidence and the consequences for terrorist crimes stronger. For example,
The U.S follows a different school of surveillance. Despite the fundamental right to be held “innocent until proven guilty”, it monitors everyone until proven innocent. The status quo could of course damage America’s long known liberties granted by the Constitution. Recent revelations by whistleblower Edward Snowden, have confirmed that the government is more likely to cross some constitutional lines in the name of national security. “The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) regulates the government’s acquisition of any electronic surveillance within the country for foreign intelligence use.
The Patriot Act is a way for the goverment to prevent terriost attacks and crime. The Patriot Act helps us and we need it. This Act while allowing the FBI to know everything bout us is only a way to try and help. The Patriot Act in 2004 caught 310 defandents with criminal affenses as a rusult of terrisom, 179 of them were already convicted. Is the Patriot Act using to much of our privacy to catch these criminals?
In his article, Professor Sanford Levinson critically examines the Constitution and states that it is a flawed document that should be revised. In order to agree or disagree with his point of view, we should put ourselves in the place of those who are judged and criticized by the author. Therefore, reading this article, I tried to imagine what I would do if I were offered to endorse the Constitution. Would I have signed this document? Are the flaws that Professor Levinson talks about so serious that the articles of the Constitution should be revised?
Olmstead v. United States, Katz v. United States, and United States v. Jones are just a few examples of how society’s outlooks on surveillance has transformed over time. However, the amendment is expressed as a story “of continuity and change” (Thompson 4). With advancing technology, it has become exceedingly difficult to apply an outdated system of government to the rules and regulations much needed for today. Yet, I believe the founding fathers of this country, who wrote and signed the constitution, stood for something timeless – a sense of freedom.
Some say that is violates the first amendment which is the freedom of speech, this means that Patriot Act is unconstitutional and should be taken away. While others say that this is a system that actually works to find people with the intentions of terrorism. It is hard to determine a solid answer to the question many ask, is it actually a effective way to find terrorists? Whether the government is telling the truth on whether or not they are using the Patriot Act solely for the use of finding terrorists or if they are using it for other things that
Surveillance is becoming increasingly integrated into human lives. Seemingly inconsequential minutiae like how long one spends in line at a grocery store or how many times a headline is clicked on a social media site are collected automatically by both public and private institutions. Whatever we do and wherever we go, there is likely some trace of it. This has led to great debates about the right to privacy, how much surveillance is too much, and under what circumstances surveillance is justifiable. Film and Television play important roles in these debates and in the way in which the public conceptualizes the utility and threat of surveillance more generally.
(Bilton, 2013) Surveillance of search engines permits information to be monitored so that if any hazardous search word like how to make bomb is looked it up several times by someone then it can be identified (Anon, 2014). Also, watching over the public assists police to capture crime suspects so that government organizations can protect national security (mass surveillance 위키피디아) To be specific, after terrible incident occurred in September 11, 2001, government of United States enacted the Patriot Act which stands for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001. The act was signed by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001 in the name of declaring war with terrorism. (위키피디아) The law grants the right to Federal Bureau of Investigation to profile people who fit certain stereotypes so that potential crime and potential terror can be prevented.
Surveillance cameras are a staple for ensuring the security of any building regardless of whether it is a home or a commercial establishment. They are available in different models, and when a homeowner intends to a security camera for his home, an outdoor device can be the ideal choice, particularly when he is planning a trip along with his family members for a week or so. As nobody will be available in the home during this period, an outdoor security camera can be installed to record the happening in the place, when there is nobody around. If you 're someone who fears for the safety of your family and you want to make sure that you do everything you can to deter criminals from breaking into your home, then the best way to do that is to install a CCTV surveillance system as soon as possible.