On September 11, 2001, the United States experienced an act of domestic terrorism unlike any seen before. The nation was emotionally and financially unprepared for such a disaster. Citizens cried for protection while the government was ready to jump at the first chance of revenge against the terrorists. People were relieved when Congress placed the USA Patriot Act into effect; however the citizens were unaware of the great injustice the Patriot Act would be to the United States. Although the USA Patriot Act was put into place to prevent domestic terrorism, it denies citizens’ rights that are specifically protected in the Bill of Rights and overrides congressional rule and judicial rule.

The USA Patriot Act was hastily put into place during a time of national fear and anxiety. “Congress passed the act in October to give federal investigators sweeping new powers to probe terrorism in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attack, and soon came under criticism from civil libertarians” (Schabner, par.3). It is no small wonder that this act came under “criticism.” The act was put into effect less than two months after the terrorist attacks which was not enough time

There have been reports of many cities and states in our nation protesting the Patriot Act.

to proofread the document to make sure that it did not override other laws already active. Some people believe that this act will ensure safety for years and years to come, while others are skeptical of the safety the act guarantees. “The government’s success in preventing another catastrophic attack on the American homeland since September 11, 2001, would have been much more difficult, if not impossible, without the USA Patriot Act” (Ashcroft, par.18). However, some believe that the act endangers civil liberties and puts too much power into the hands of the government.

Our government has experienced a similar situation; during the presidency of Thomas Jefferson, the Alien Act and the Sedition Act were placed into effect, which caused much turmoil concerning the rights of American citizens. “The Sedition Act made it unlawful for any person to write, print, publish, or speak anything ‘false, scandalous, and malicious’ about the government” (VanBergen, par.25). The government of the people has a purpose of protecting the rights of its’ people. The government cannot pick and choose which regulations it will follow and which it will not. “Does this remind you of John Ashcroft’s Dec. 6th rant before Congress in which he equated civil liberties with aid to terrorists and declared that any public debate would ‘give ammunition to America’s enemies’?” (VanBergen, par.26). Democratic candidates were advocates of the Alien Act because it stated that a man could not become President nor hold any political office before he had lived in America for at least fourteen consecutive years. This statute was later lessened to ten consecutive years; people still did not live for any long amount of time, so this was seen as a low blow to the eligible men who desired to hold office and could not. “The Sedition Law was used to arrest, prosecute, and jail democratic newspaper editors who dared to oppose the Administration” (VanBergen, par. 27). Perhaps American government could learn a thing or two if the officials studied past trials and tribulations and pondered if the same thing would happen in the many scenarios they are presented with today.

There are alternatives to preventing domestic and international terrorism instead of undermining the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights:

The USA Patriot Act overrides many directly stated laws in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. It is the government’s jo

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