The Patriot Act Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Patriot Act - Research Paper Example Provisions of the Act violate the Constitution and tear down the freedoms for which true patriots have fought and died. This discussion will review provide a brief history pertaining to the subject, analyze the debate surrounding the topic and consequences of the Act then offer a concluding statement. History The PATRIOT Act was enacted in response to the 9/11 attacks and as a tool against terrorist threats. The right wing has actively advocated subverting the rights contained in no less than five of the first ten amendments (the Bill of Rights) to, as they claim, ‘protect’ citizens from terrorism. The name itself, the PATRIOT Act is an acronym for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism. The label for this law was cleverly designed and packaged to enlist broad support from a nation that is generally vulnerable to patriotic propaganda but even more so at the time that it was so swiftly enacted. Citizen s and legislators were all too eager to submit to the rhetoric that suggested that sacrificing a certain amount of freedom was a small price to pay for security. Most Congressmen admit to not have reading the Act before voting to pass it but those voting in favor were overwhelming. Only one of 99 Senators (Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold) and 66 of 423 Representatives voted against the law. The PATRIOT Act, as many citizens and legal experts alike have argued, violates the fundamental rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution’s first ten amendments, the Bill of Rights (Savage, 2006). This includes the freedom of speech and assembly (First Amendment); the freedom from unreasonable search and seizure (Fourth Amendment); the right to due process of law (Fifth Amendment); the right to a speedy, public and fair trial along with the right to counsel and to confront the accuser, (Sixth Amendment), the freedom from cruel and unusual punishment (Eighth Amendment) and freedom from pun ishment without conviction (13th Amendment). In March of 2010 President Obama signed a one-year extension of three parts of the USA Patriot Act without any amendments, additions or new limitations on measures he said were essential to safeguard American civil liberties. â€Å"The provisions allow the government, with permission from a special court, to obtain roving wiretaps over multiple communication devices, seize suspects’ records without their knowledge, and conduct surveillance of a so-called ‘lone wolf,’ or someone deemed suspicious but without any known ties to an organized terrorist group.† i Analysis Libertarian organizations such as the Civil Liberties Union claim that the Bush administration had a proclivity for secrecy and rejected the concept of transparency. The PATRIOT Act has reproved its agenda for the â€Å"outright removal of checks and balances.† ii Conservatives are alarmed as well including former Republican Representative Bob Barr, who is best known for leading the attempt to impeach President Clinton. Barr had led a group named â€Å"Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances† which focused solely on challenging the renewal of the Patriot Act in 2004. iii This multifaceted PATRIOT Act modified numerous laws including the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, Right to Financial Privacy Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act and Immigration and Nationality Act among many others. iv According to the Justice Department, the PATRIOT Act gives support to and