Paige’s W1 Post
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The USA Patriot Act was passed in response to the September 11th attacks. It was made with the intent of providing law enforcement agencies with resources to combat terrorism, such as expanded surveillance powers, and enhanced information sharing between agencies. Agencies and officers have stated that these measures have helped preventing further attacks, such as the one that occurred in September 2001.
From the governments perspective this Act has proven its value, however some citizens raise concerns about the Act’s impact on individual rights to privacy. They argue that the surveillance granted by the Act step on their individual constitutional rights and are vulnerable to abuse.
From my perspective I would not be willing to give up my personal privacy to allow law enforcement more power in terrorist situations. The Act violates constitutional rights for American citizens. Studies have shown that violent terrorists acts have been connected to poverty, persecution, and lack of human rights. I believe if we supported more people within the United States, we would lower the terrorism rate significantly. By assisting homeless people, giving resources to the mentally ill, and offering more resources to single parent households we would cut the population willing to hurt the system that helps them.
Citizens being watched and tracked isn’t the answer to a situation. Assisting people when they’re struggling in life is what could really impact the terrorism and patriotism level. Now, individuals coming into this country with ill intent, or if they are coming from a country that has issues with the US, they should be tracked and monitored to avoid any harm to the American people.
https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/infocus/patriotact/#:~:text=The%20Patriot%20Act%20Reauthorization%20Tackles,rather%20than%20traditional%20financial%20institutions.
