Research Paper Overview---Justus

Research Paper Overview(Patriot Act)

Hi, I am choosing to do my research on the USA Patriot Act and how it has affected the daily lives of Americans.  PATRIOT is an acronym that stands for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism.  This was signed into law by George W. Bush 6 weeks after the terrorist attacks on 9/11 had occurred.   The Act dramatically reduced restrictions on law the ability of enforcement agencies to search telephone, e-mail communications, medical, financial, and other records.  This in particular has sparked much discomfort among citizens because the government began to wiretap phone calls, which had many people saying it was an invasion of privacy.  In addition, it also gave law enforcement officials broad discretion to search immigrants and other minorities suspected of terrorism-related acts, which lead the discrepancy of racial profiling.  These are a few examples of controversial issues that arose from the Patriot Act because of the infringements of citizens’ civil liberties.  Now there are also advantages of having this enacted such as it allows law enforcement to use surveillance against more crimes of terror.  I personally think the Patriot Act is a good thing because, most importantly, it aids with the protection of US citizens.  I will explain the pros and cons pertaining to the Patriot Act and the controversy that goes along with it.