The Patriot Act Suppresses Criticism of the Government...

The most valuable aspects of individualism is the freedom to speak and to express are feelings that is what makes us human, as President Robert F. Kennedy stated in his Day of Affirmation Address that â€Å"†¦the first element of this individual liberty is the freedom of speech: the right to express and communicate ideas, to set oneself apart from the dumb beasts of field and forest†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My family came to the U.S. because of the promises of freedom. When we were in India we could not speak ill of the politics that were corrupt because if we did there would be chaos and riots. As we came to America we found that we did not have to look constantly behind are backs when we criticized the government until the Patriot Act was put into place but now we†¦show more content†¦The checks and balance was created as a system of the constitution and is in place so that no part of the government is too powerful. The judicial system should be able say if a warrant should be allowed for any situation. These are the systems that were built in order to protect the United States citizens. The patriotic act may have been created so that international terrorists operating on American soil can be found and prosecuted but does that mean taking away the rights of American citizens? Many citizens have come from countries where there is no freedom; they believed that the United States was the only place where they could talk freely so they came. America can not put distrust in to the hearts of those citizens by taking away the freedom to speak our minds. The Patriot Act violates our first amendment rights that protected our free speech and expression. It also violates the fourth amendment which protects citizens from unwarranted searches and seizures. Some people say that they do not mind the Patriot Act because they don’t have anything to hide, but this kind of thinking is inconsistent. When you know that you are being recorded you would feel uncomfortable expressing your feelings and your free speech that the first amendment was created for (Justice). Americans are eroding our civil rights and are actually helping the terrorists by crippling our democratic values to achieve their mission. Another reason that the not caring about theShow MoreRelatedThe Usa Patriot Act : An Act Of Political Upheaval3146 Words   |  13 PagesSean P. Cooper POLI 308 – US Presidency Newman 18 November 2014 THE USA PATRIOT ACT – An Act of Political Upheaval This paper will focus on the background, purpose, implementation, major criticisms, and current standing of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (hereafter referred to as the USA PATRIOT Act). The USA PATRIOT Act is currently one of the most controversial and divisive political doctrines that exist in modernRead MoreShould Freedom of Speech Have Limits?2085 Words   |  8 Pagesthat they effectively outlawed it with passage of the Espionage Act in June 1917 (Finan, 2007, pp. 8-10). The wording of the Act made it a federal crime to make  ¦ false statements with intent to interfere with the operation or success of the military or naval forces. While newspaper publishers were able to end an attempt to limit the press as well, publishers who relied on the U.S. Postal System were not so lucky. The Espionage Act gave the Postmaster General broad powers to censure publications