Patriotism and the Patriot Act

On September 11, 2001, the vulnerability of the United States of America was revealed. Thousands of people died from the result of a massive and unexpected terrorist attack; one like history has never before witnessed. In the weeks and months following the tragic event, fear of similar attacks consumed the minds of all Americans. During the weeks that followed, government officials scrambled to honestly and assuredly convince its citizens that their homeland would be protected. Forty-five days later, on Oct. 26, 2001, Congress enacted the USA PATRIOT Act, considered to be a necessary means to ease the minds of America as a whole. Its ability to facilitate the government's need for monitoring and overseeing individuals possibly involved in terrorist activities would keep the United States safe.

The USA PATRIOT Act, a 342-page statute, which stands for The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism, has not fulfilled its promise to the public despite its positive efforts. Since its inception, the USA PATRIOT Act has actually done more to create distrust for the government by the very citizens the act is attempting to protect than to hunt down and prosecute those who have caused this justified trepidation.