Security vs. Liberty - 1116 Words

Security vs. Liberty: The Battle for America In the wake of September 11th, the country was in turmoil. Fear and confusion were rampant; direction was required. President George Bush, in a famous address, acknowledged the severity of the attacks, and called for a newly invigorated sense of nationalism. His plan for preventing future attacks called for the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, and expanded powers to intelligence agencies (Bush). During this time, one of the most provocative bills was allowed to pass, under the guise of a terrorist seeking bill. The Patriot Act was indeed effective in increasing the power allotted to surveillance agencies, but many feel at too high of a cost. Many have asked the questionÂ… is†¦show more content†¦As a result, the last for years have seen a 100 fold increase in the number of such requests. In addition to requesting information from libraries and employer, the act allows for the seizure of voice mails, e-mails, and other electronic forms of communication, ag ain, without requiring necessary cause. Finally, and this is actually far from all of the Patriot Acts stipulations, the ability to arrest suspects without warrant or charge. As of now, 2005, the Patriot Act has had its 4th anniversary. According to Sec. 224 of the Patriot Act, many of the surveillance adages are set to expire. In a bi-partisan call for reform, civil rights groups and others had high hopes for significant changes to the Patriot Acts provisions. Indeed, those with their ear to the ground heard change on the way. Major changes to policies involving gag orders (national security letter), which require certain groups to hand over information to security agencies, were expected. Also, many believed that the surveillance issues would be allowed to expire. However, when congress finally did meet recently, pressure from the White House finally caused the Republican majority to buckle. In addition to nullifying the amendments that had earlier been expected, there is now a pu sh to extend the surveillance provisions and make gag orders more stringent. In fact, instead of keeping the bill as a temporary solution (as it was originally intended), the WhiteShow MoreRelatedLiberty vs. Security401 Words   |  2 Pagesï » ¿ Liberty vs. Security Introduction How far are Americans willing to go when it comes to giving up their Constitutionally-guaranteed liberties in order to provide more security against deranged, radical bombers who hate Americans and who strike at public events? That is the topic of this paper, and two articles on this subject will be outlined in order to provide perspective. 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