Every American’s life has changed since the events of Sept. 11, 2001. I appreciate every ideal, luxury and detail of American life more than ever.
Our lives have also changed because of new laws passed in the wake of Sept. 11.
One such law is the Patriot Act, a law that makes it easier for the government to track and survey potential terrorists. It is becoming a hot topic of political debate.
The act puts laws into effect that combat illegal immigration. It cuts down on threats by making it harder for terrorists to move around freely. The law creates a system that monitors foreign students such as those who committed the terror attacks on Sept. 11.
The Patriot Act allows the government to search a property with a delayed warrant. A government that can quickly extract information, seek out criminals, hunt them down and capture them more easily is a better government.
The act permits law enforcement to gain access to a person’s library account to retrieve titles of books that a person has checked out. Many plans for terrorism or crime have started in public libraries where there is a plethora of information on items such as bombs and guns.
Those opposed to the act would have people believe the government is keeping track of everyone’s library records. This is not the case. Law enforcement would be required to attain judicial supervision before searching just anyone’s records.
The law also makes it possible for the government to tap into telephone lines and monitor Internet activity more easily. By making it easier to tap telephone and Internet lines, the government can track and thwart potential attacks in a quicker manner.
Most Democrats believe the act goes too far in taking away civil liberties.
Sen. John Edwards wants the act to be modified. He said during the debate last Tuesday, “These very liberties, this privacy, these constitutional rights, that’s what’s at stake in this fight and we cannot let people like John Ashcroft take them away in an effort to protect ourselves.”
Other candidates, former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich think the act should be rescinded altogether.
The repeal of the act would bring America back to the place it started from before Sept. 11. It would bring our nation back to a place where illegal immigrants could roam freely, a place where terrorists could communicate without interruption.
The majority of Republicans, lead by Attorney General John Ashcroft, support the act. They believe it is necessary in the post-Sept. 11 world to secure each American’s safety by increasing monitoring activities.
“We have used the tools provided in the Patriot Act to fulfill our first responsibility to protect the American people. We have used these tools to prevent terrorists from unleashing more death and destruction on our soil,” said Ashcroft.
America has to sacrifice certain liberties no, so that we are not sacrificing thousands of American lives years later.
During the current state of world affairs, the Patriot Act is a necessary tool to keep our nation safe. Many polls show that the majority of Americans understand that limiting a small number of liberties keep us safe.
I would gladly let the government know what books I checked out at the library or what site I searched online if it made America a safer place.
I trust the American government to do what is necessary and prudent to keep its citizens safe.
It is essential that America use its technology to maintain a better eye on potential threats.
Charlie Swanson is a freshman buisness administration major. He can be reached at [email protected].