The Patriot Act

On September 11th, 2001 the United States experienced the worst attack on its soil in over a century. More people were killed in a single day than in the Pearl Harbor attack, not since the Civil War had U.S soil seen such bloodshed. In less than six weeks Congress passed the USA Patriot act, with effectively no debate or scrutiny. It was passed in great haste and secrecy in the name of the "War on Terrorism". The 342 page document consisted of sweeping legislations which removed the checks on law enforcement that are afforded for our protection under our Constitution, and many members of Congress have later admitted to not even reading it . Additionally, it expanded the government's authority to spy on its own citizens, while simultaneously reducing checks and balances on a number of powers such as judicial oversight, public accountability, and the ability to challenge government searches in court (ACLU,1). Parts of the Patriot Act directly infringe on our First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights, a blatant act of civil rights violation.…