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The Pros And Cons Of The Patriot Act

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Before September 11, 2001, the United States was believed to be a super power. It was considered untouchable. This belief made the idea of a terrorist attack on the U.S. impossible to fathom. At 8:46 am EST, United Airlines flight 175 crashed into the north tower of the Twin Towers in New York City. A total of four commercial planes were hijacked that day by terrorists with kamikaze like intentions. September 11, 2001 marks the single greatest terror attack in U.S. history. To answer this attack President Bush signed the Patriot Act. The Patriot Act permits the federal government the right to view emails, texts and calls of the general public and increases video surveillance in public domains. These improvements are aimed to monitor suspicious behaviors and hopefully prevent future terrorist attacks like 9/11. This topic is highly controversial. Opponents of the Patriot Act argue that this act restricts the right to privacy which is promised to citizens by the founding fathers and is stated in the Constitution. Supporters argue that the Patriot Act is a necessary response to 9/11 and provides our law enforcement with the means to eradicate potential terrorist behaviors before they occur. Truly, the Patriot Act is one of the most positive government or public response to the 9/11 attacks on the United States. The Patriot Act has one priority - to prevent any and all potential terrorist attacks. During the week September 28, 2009, five FBI agents thwarted three separate

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