Draftversion

Jordanlemons

English101001

May28,2015

PatriotAct:UnconstitutionalorEssential?

TherehasbeenalotofcontroversysurroundingthePatriotActincongressonwhetherit

shouldberenewedornot.SomearguethatthePatriotActisunconstitutionaltocollect

Americancitizensphonerecords,othersarguethatitisnecessarytoprotectAmericans

fromterroristattacks.Twoextremelycontroversialarticlesdebatewhetherornotthelaw

shouldberenewedareWorldmagazinespublication,"NSAsnoopingfindsfewfriendson

capitolhill"byJimHenryfromtheMay26,2015publicationandABCNEWS,"FBI

surveillancetoolsinjeopardyamidPatriotActdebate"byEricTuckerfromtheMay27,2015

publication.TwoarticleswithdifferentperspectivesinwhichHenryfocusesmoreonthe

representativesfightingtostoptherenewalofthelaw,whereasontheotherhand,Tucker

statesfactswhythePatriotActsandNSAshouldberenewedandiscrucialtotheFBIand

Americancitizens.Bothauthorsgivealotofdetailedfactstosupporttheirargumentsand

bothsupportwhatsbestfortheAmericanpeople.

ThethoughtofhavinggovernmentofficialsspyonAmericancitizensphonecallsand

emailsisveryuncomfortabletomostpeople,InthearticlepublishedbytheWorldmagazine,

KentuckySenatorRandPauldebatesincongressonwhytherenewalofthePatriotActis

unconstitutionalandunamerican.SenatorRandPaulstates:"Americansshouldnotsacrifice

freedomforsecurity".Whichsupportstheideathatweshouldn'tloseourfreedomandallow

governmenttospyonAmericansorallowtheNSAtocollectphonecalls.Thereare

memberswhoarenotsatisfiedwiththestoppage,AnotherKentuckysenatorMitch

McConnellstates:"Thisisahighthreatperiod,andweknowwhatsgoingonoverseasand

weknowwhat'sbeentriedhereathome".ButasHenrypointsoutthegovernmentshouldnot

endangerAmericancivilliberties.Thecontroversyisbecauseofthestoppageofthepatriot

actwillmakeiteasierforterroristtocommitcrimeintheUnitedStateswithlesssurveillance.

AttorneyGeneralLorettaLynchstates:"Existinglawsprovideampleauthorityforthe

governmenttoobtaininformationaboutindividualswhoareplanningattackofterrorism".

Eventhoughthereisalotofevidencethatsupportsherstatementcongresshasyettodecide

whatactiontheyaregoingtotake.

Bothreportshaveverydifferentperspectivesonwhetherthelawshouldberenewedor

notandexplainwhyitisimportant.Henryexplainswhyitiswrongforgovernmenttocollect

Americansphonerecords,whereasontheotherhand,Tuckerexplainswhythelawshould

berenewedforthesafetyoftheAmericanpeople.InthearticlepublicationfromABCnews

"FBIsurveillancetoolsinjeopardyamidPatriotActdebate",Tuckerexplainswhyitiscrucial

fortheFBItobecollectphonerecordsFBIofficialscallphonecollectionaveryusefultool,

FBIDirectorJamesComeystates:"IsurehopecongressfiguresoutawaytomakesureI

don'tlosetheseessentialtools".ThearticleexplainsthelawgivesFBItheauthorityto

interceptcallsandcollectAmericanphonerecordsinbulk.Whichiswhytheywantthelaw

renewedbecauseitisveryhelpfulintheireffortstocounterterrorism.ItalsoallowsFBI

surveillanceonanonUSpersonwhoissuspectedofplottingaterroristattack.

ItiswidelyknownthatterrorismhasbeenhasbeenahugeprobleminAmericaeven

beforethehorrendousattackson9/11.Butsomemembersofcongressbelievethatthe

PatriotActwasanoverreactionintheWorldMagazinepublicationEllison,DMinnstates:I

thinkthatitisabsolutelythecasethatthereisabipartisanagreementthatthePatriotAct

wenttoofarandcertainprovisionsofitshouldexpire,soitsnotsurprisingcongressis

havingatoughtimereachinganagreement.TheFBIhasalwayshadauthoritytowiretap

phonecallsforcriminalinvestigationsbutthePatriotActincreasedsurveillancetocounter

terrorism.Ifcongressdoesnotreachagreementsomeofitsmosteffectiveprovisionwill

expireandmakeitharderforFBIagentstogatherinformationonnonUSindividuals.Tucker

statesthatthepatriotActwashelpfulfindinga9/11conspirator,ifcongressdecidestorenew

thelawhopefullyitwillbenefittheAmericancitizens.

ThetwoarticlesfocusontwocrucialfactorsregardingthePatriotActandexplainingthe

resultsofbothoutcomes.TheWorldMagazinearticlecompletelydisregardedthePatriot

Actsillegalspying,howeveridentifiesthatthereareterroristthreatsthatneedtobestopped.

OntheotherhandABCnewspublicationhadmoresupportivefactorsforthelawillustrating

whyitisimportantfortherenewalandwhyFBIshouldbeallowedtoconfiscatephone

records.Itisstilluncertainiftherenewalwillmakeusanysaferagainstenemythreatsorif

it'sjustaninvasionofAmericansprivacybutwemustnotdenythefactthatthereare

enemieswhoareAdangertoAmerica.

WorksCited

Jim,Henry.NSASnoopingfindsfewfriendsonCapitolHill.Worldmag.com.WorldMagazine,26May2015.Web29May2015

EricTucker.FBIsurveillancetoolsinjeopardyamidPatriotActdebate.ABCnews.Go.ABCnews27May2015.WebMay292015