Patriot+Act


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=Patriot Act=



Fast Facts:

 * Signed by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001, only 45 days after the September 11 attacks
 * It was passed with very little debate by the members of Congress
 * It expands the power of law enforcement agencies to investigate and to prosecute terrorists
 * Allows the FBI to investigate people for "intelligence purposes" even if they are not suspected of crimes
 * Permits people who are not citizens to be jailed and not allowed back into the US if they are suspected of being involved in crimes
 * Law enforcement agencies are allowed to use such methods as wiretapping to watch suspected terrorists
 * Law enforcement is allowed to demand information about the suspects internet, phone, medical, legal, and financial records
 * Over 80,000 Arab and South Asians have interrogated because of their religion or ethnic background, not because of criminal records
 * The government is allowed to monitor communication between detainees and their lawyers. This basically destroys the attorney-client privilege
 * Americans are being held under suspicion without even being charged. They are also unable to reach lawyers

Arguments Against the Patriot Act:

 * It threatens our right of free speech, religion, assembly, and the press- the First Amendment
 * It threatens our right of unfair searches and seizures- the Fourth Amendment
 * Threatens the Fifth Amendment- no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law
 * Threatens the Sixth Amendment- all persons have the right to a fair trial, and all persons have the right to know the charges that are being held against them and to confront witnesses
 * Eighth Amendment is being threatened- no unusual punishment shall be used
 * The Fourteenth Amendment is being threatened- all persons in the United States are under equal protection by the law

Arguments for the Patriot Act:

 * It allows the authorities to better catch and prosecute criminals and terrorist
 * Authorities are able to their jobs better and more reliably
 * Authorities are able to carry out surveillance missions easier and better. If suspects somehow evade surveillance attempts, agents are able to switch tactics with little jurisdiction
 * FBI would be forced to do what they were doing before September 11. They would have less power and it would be harder to fight against terrorism.
 * Agents are able to have more information available to them from more places including foreign agencies. They are also able to share the information that they have gathered. This makes their work, and other agent's work a lot easier.

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