Question

The USA PATRIOT Act (reauthorized by Congress in 2006 with a few changes), the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 2008, and actions carried out by the National Security Agency and George W. Bush administration raised new questions about the competing interests of national security and civil liberties. What are these interests and what issues of civil liberties are at stake? How should the Court reconcile these competing issues? Has the War on Terrorism overstepped appropriate boundaries of civil liberties?

Answer 1

The US patriot act violates the civil liberties of the American people by giving the government opportunity and rights to treat citizens in many undignified and uncouth ways. It changed the nations ranking from one of the most free countries in the world, to somewhere in the 40th percentile. The bill allows for too broad of a scope of power to federal authorities, violating the rights to privacy among many other civil rights. Because of this I feel the War on Terrorism has greatly overstepped appropriate boundaries of civil liberties, and human rights. I am not sure how they should go about reconciling this issue, but as sure as they should, its likely they won't because government enjoys having more power than the people.