BIG DEBATE

""...the Patriot Act was enacted in an environment where there was virtually no discussion or careful scrutiny. Maybe there shouldn't have been because we needed to act quickly, but now we have the time and room for thought about what we need in the post-9/11 world..." => made sense that it was a time of panic at the time of 9/11, and national security did trump an individual's right to privacy => not any more. It has been proven that it hasn't truly stopped Al Qaeda => ON GOING => virtually impossible to stop this.

Korematsu v. United States => his rights were trumped because of current situation =>It made sense before, doesn't make sense now => thankfully nothing like that has occurred again.

President Bush said, "This nation refuses to live in fear." 'Wouldn't it be living on fear knowing that they are being watched and censored like Big Brother.

If terrorists know that they are being watched, because the government would have access to their every move they might decide to act more cautiously and decide to hold off on the activities that they do => to a harder time.

Though the Patriot Act did effectively help find 2/3 of Al Qaeda's leaders => this is an ongoing war, and Al Qaeda is an on-going organization. NSA is going to have an endless job trying to stop all of them. Just like the KKK, started 1865, it is not completely dissolved. Better to spend time and resources on other issues.

Why do you need to set up a policy about invasion of privacy? You can still do it, there are over 20.6 million attempt of hacker invasions that originate in the United States => isn't that considered an invasion of privacy already. That type of hacking is looked immoral, but the NSA hacking is somehow secure and Ok? Even it has very exclusive access, if all that data falls on the hand of one wrong person, then they would all be in trouble => personal privacy is not protected.

First amendment: Congress shall pass no law......prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the free of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition........
People are going to feel invaded and it will lead them to feel uncomfortable and hide their feelings and their speech if they know someone has the potential of listening to the conversation. The first amendment secures that the government does not has the power to diminish this right from people. In efforts of securing national security, the personal security of the citizens is being overlooked.

FOURTH AMMENDMENT: No unreasonable search or seizures without a warrant. =>if they already have their suspected terrorist it is very easy for them to get a warrant then.