I don't ACT like a PATRIOT, but they treat me like one. USA

In response to, “The USA Patriot Act: A Sketch”

This article gives background information on what the US Patriot act is and its affect on US citizens. The USA Patriot act was passed just after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in hopes of preventing such act from reoccurring in the future. However, many believe these acts to be quite intrusive of personal privacy. Knowing that the government was looking more deeply into terrorism may have been comforting at the time, but now seems to have no place since the event has passed, and, as I would like to believe, are now more willing to fight for freedoms given to us by the constitution.  

Is the ability to prevent future terrorist attacks worth the sacrifice of one’s privacy? In many ways, I think this question is the main reason why people have such a problem with the act.  Whether or not a terrorist, it still baffles me as to why it may be appropriate to think violating someone’s privacy is just. How it could possibly be deduced as to whether or not someone is a terrorist confuses me and makes me question what freedom and justice truly are.  Initially, I believe the act was justifiable because of the events, which had just taken place.

Question: What does it mean to be a terrorist? Is a “reduced risk of terrorism” worth giving up one’s own privacy? How would the USA Patriot act define a terrorist?

Aaron Handa

Section 002

Response #6