The Patriots Act in the United States - Essay Example

? Patriot’s Act Indian River College DSC 4013 Victoria Stalls January The Patriot’s Act was a law enacted weeks following the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States. The act looked into several security measures that could be enhanced through legislation. The Patriot Act came into force in October of 2001 and the law continued several provisions that covered local and foreign solutions in fighting terrorism. This essay will look into the provisions of the Patriot’s Act that had a profound impact of the security of the United States. The Patriot’s Act has given more powers to security agents in the United States to conduct searches, gather intelligence without need of warrants. The Act also allowed the government to freeze monies meant for terror groups and online security has also been bolstered. All these provisions in the Patriot’ Act have increased security and thwarted terror attacks against the United States. However, some provisions of the Act have been ineffective in fighting terrorism and most of these acts are stem from foreign based provisions. Introduction The September 11, 2001 terror attack on the United States shocked the country and the world at large. Following the attacks, several security measures from different fronts were initiated to guard against more terror attacks on the Unites States. One of the measures that were initiated was the enactment of the Patriot’s Act, a law enacted a few weeks after the September 11, 2011 attacks. The Patriot’s act contains several provisions that were to safeguard the United States from terrorism. For instance, the act gives power to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other agencies to conduct random searches on an individual’s household. The Patriot act is still in operation till today and President Obama extended some of the provisions of the act that were to expire this year. Impact of Patriot’s Act The Patriot’s Act has had a profound effect on the security of the United States. The act has increased security measures around the country. One of the major provisions of the Patriot’s act is it allows for searches to be conducted on citizens by security agencies without the need for a search warrant. This provision breaches the first amendment and this has created problems with lawmakers and civil rights movement groups. Security agencies in the United States have been given more freedom to investigate or interrogate terrorists from all regions globally. The Patriot act has also led to increased security at border points and entry points into the United States including ports and airports. The Patriot Act had a profound effect on the definition of terrorism especially on the front of domestic terrorism where acts of terrors were taken seriously (Wong, 2007). The act reduced restrictions on security agencies and it gave them power to investigate any American citizen while at the same time, the act allowed American security forces to investigate any foreigner suspected of being a terrorist. The act also allowed American security forces to protect critical infrastructure and demand information concerning any individual in the United States (Smith, 2009). The Patriot Act also gave powers to the secretary of Finance to regulate funds of suspected foreign individuals or corporations involved in corruption. The act has however tightened the noose on money laundering and this has reduced terror activities in the United States. The Act contains provisions that gave power to authorities to detain or deport immigrants involved in terrorism. These provisions have been successful in reducing acts of terror in the United States (Citizen 68, 2010). Increased surveillance of the internet and online activity has enhanced security since it has been effective in curbing theft of sensitive information. In terms of general safety, the Patriot Act has been effective in ensuring that acts of terror against the United States are greatly reduced (Stefoff, 2010). The Patriot’s Act has ensured border patrols have been enhanced and thus national security within the United States borders has been tightened. Crime in the United States from activities such drug trafficking has decreased since the Patriot Act has ensured that the porous US borders are well protected. Ineffective provisions of the Patriot’s Act Many people have criticised the Patriot’s Act of not being effective as it was thought of during the drafting of the act. Many Americans have criticised the act for not being very effective in curbing terrorism outside the United States. For instance, section 218 of the Patriot’s Act allows American forces to conduct foreign intelligence wiretaps and searches. This provision has not been effective in reducing cases of targeted terror attacks since American forces have no jurisdiction over foreign territories. Another provision of the Patriot Act that has been ineffective is the use of the National Security letter which allowed the FBI to conduct illegal searches and conduct wiretaps (Smith, 2009). These provisions have been abused by the FBI after the agency’s agents misused their powers to tap on illegal activities such as gambling and extorted monies from these people. One of the provisions that has been ineffective and caused controversy was the provision that allowed the US government to detain foreign citizens suspected of terrorism in the United States. This has not been effective in curbing terrorism in the sense that it has presented an opportunity to damage the relations between the United States and other countries. The Patriot act has compromised the US constitution since the provisions like the National Security Letter allows for the FBI to subpoena any individual or organization to provide information (Stefoff, 2010). This provision undermines justice because it contravenes the fourth and fifth amendment. As a result, the FBI and other security agencies are treated in a hostile manner making it difficult for US citizens to co-operate with these security agencies. Section 805 of the Patriot’s Act has also been ineffective since it provides for arresting or labelling individuals or organizations which assist terrorist groups. For instance, if NGO’s or Doctors were to avail help to a group such as Hamas then they would be labelled as terrorists. This provision has caused a lot of problems between governments and the United States in fight against terrorism (Ball, 2004). Conclusion Terrorism has been a major security concern in the recent years across many governments or nations globally. The September 11, 2001 terror attacks were worst globally and preventive measures had to be taken to stem these problems. The Patriot Act was enacted as a counter measure of terrorism; this law has been instrumental in fighting terrorism. However, the act has not been effective since the enactment of the law was hastened and some provisions infringed on the US constitution while other provisions could not implemented. References Ball, H. (2004). U.S.A. Patriot Act of 2001. Vermont: ABC-CLIO. Smith, K. (2009). Fighting Terrorism: The Patriot’s Act. The American Security Monthly, 1(1), p. 34-36. Stefoff, R. (2010). The Patriot Act. Boston, MA: Marshall Cavendish The Patriot Act: Good, Bad, and Effective. (September 26, 2010). Citizen 68. Retrieved from: http://www.citizen68.com/2010/09/patriot-act-good-bad-and-effective.html Wong, K. (2007). The impact of USA Patriot Act on American society: an evidence based assessment. Detroit, MI: Nova Science Publishers. Read More