Who Does the Second Patriot Act REALLY Help?

Response to "ASNE memo on the Patriot Act II"

Post Date: May 4, 2014

This memo about the Patriot Act II was written for the American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE), a group dedicated to helping support reporters in their writings. This act, designed to help support the Patriot Act of 2001, would have severe consequences on many business and organizations within the United States. Those who would speak out against the US government would be severely punished, such as those speaking against the government’s offenses or newsrooms with particularly important information over the government’s actions. Spying would become more prominent within a government that would allow for such actions, causing the individual’s freedoms to decline dramatically.

Such an act would cause mass chaos to how individuals would act within the United States, considering how citizens would have to fear for their lives. If such a law was enacted within today, many acts of protest could be declared illegal and those fighting for rights and freedoms would be in greater risk of being punished. Critics of how the United States’ own actions could be potentially silenced, giving more power towards the dominant government in charge. Many protests, such as the Occupy Movement, would potentially have a harder time gaining momentum and stability if the Patriot Act II was passed. Even smaller protests, led by groups of different perspectives, would feel repercussions from this law by forcing these protesters to censor themselves, considering how much more power would be given to the already-dominant national government. Despite how this law would supposedly help in the fight against terrorism, this proposed law would also create major issues on whether on those trying to unveil the government’s misdeeds across the world.

Question: What other organizations or events would be greatly affected by this law if it was passed?

Posted by: Eric Yu

Section A01

The ACLU is an organization that has been fighting against such abuses of the individual's freedoms and rights under a government that wishes to spy on people using tactic such as the Patriot Acts. Image from the American Civil Liberties Union.