patriot acts
.../11 attacks by our congress that was both frightened and emotional. Which explains why most people say that the bill had such overwhelming support in congress. The act was signed only five weeks after it was originally drafted. Some of the terms of the bill were revised or completely taken out literally in the middle of the night and then voted on only hours later. Certainly not allowing a substantial amount of time to review and go over the bill. In essence the congress acted under pressure and the feeling that something had to be done. This act increased the power of the government to spy on its citizens without having to go through the due process and basically made it legal to violate our rights. It also gave the government the ability to search and Americans citizens house under a clandestine manner and hold the resident in prison without a trial or being charged with any crime. An act that clearly undermines the sixth amendment to our constitution. A man in Los Angeles is now approaching his fifth year of detainment without being charged of a crime or having a trial. He is being held simply because the government has certain suspicions. He has also been denied the right to an attorney; this was made legal by the Patriot acts. This act merely gives the government the power to racially profile American citizens and declare them terrorists without any proof of terrorist action. These laws also allow the invasion of privacy .For example, the government can now search an American citizens computer and all its contents without having to present just cause and without having to inform the person of the search. People who defend these acts will say that the use of wire-tapping has always been available to law enforcement and that this act doesn’t affect privacy. What this act does is that it allows the government now to wire tap anyone they want including religious organizations and political organizations again without any apparent evidence of wrongdoing or terrorists activity. Also now under the patriot act all libraries are now required to report to government officials about what people are reading and researching. This can create more problems than it solves. For example a person can simply be doing a research paper on the Middle East or reading about terrorists this can deem the person affiliated with a terrorist group and make them guilty by association. Most people who support the acts say that it is a tool to fight terrorism and that it is essential to have in order to do so. The governmen...