Write An Essay On The Patriot Act

The events of September 11, 2001 will never be forgotten by the American people. One of the largest changes made in the United States after 9/11 was the introduction of the USA Patriot Act on October 26, 2001. The act allows US government agencies to easily gain access to the private records of people within the United States. The records include phone records, banking statements, and credit reports. Without any limits on the power of government agencies, the possibility of infringing on the rights of private citizens arises. It is important to research and know how much power the government has under acts such as the USA Patriot Act and what must be done in order to ensure that the rights of private citizens will be protected. Privacy is a large concern for people not only the United States, but also throughout the world. Using terrorism as an excuse to infringe on the privacy and rights of innocent citizens should not be allowed. Without any checks on the government, government agencies would be allowed to go …show more content…
If there are few or no restraints to the power of agencies such as the FBI, there is a real danger of citizens’ rights being infringed. There are a few aspects of such surveillance that can be focused on for further research. These topics include the surveillance of specific groups of people within the United States, the surveillance abilities of specific agencies that work for the United States government, or specific records that can be accessed by the government. Through the research, it would be nice to know that the government isn’t able to look through anyone’s records without reason. However, there is also the possibility that the claims of the mass media aren’t completely unfounded and that the government has near unrestricted access to private records of civilians within the United