The information below regarding the USA Patriot Act was obtained from the Congressional Information Service. The Act is extremely comprehensive, therefore; only the most important and controversial provisions have been included. First, the Act grants a great deal of aid to victims and funding for federal and state agencies. The law establishes a counter-terrorism fund. The fund will allocate money to agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), intelligence agencies, and establishes aid foundations for vi

Congress also wanted to secure the safety and rights of individuals who may be victims of discrimination or persecution due to their nationality. The USA Patriot Act instructs the Department of Justice to appoint an individual to review all allegations of abuse of civil rights or liberties, and racial and ethic profiling by government employees and officials. Also, Congress states their disgust for any vengeance, racial discrimination, or violence committed against any American.

Certainly, innocent citizens will be affected negatively due to the Act, however, that price may be acceptable if these new powers aid in better protecting Americans. In order to prevent another event similar to the attacks on the World Trade Center, Americans will have to give a little. Law enforcement agencies need all the help they can get to tackle a seemingly insurmountable task. Terrorists do whatever they want to whomever they want. Terrorists do not have to follow rules and regulations. Unfortunately, government agents must adhere strictly to an uncountable number of rules and regulations. The government will eventually need to get its hands dirty before any progress can be made. The above circumstances justify the passing of the USA Terrorist Act. The Act may step on the toes of the Fourth Amendment, but only out of a serious necessity. Lie, cheat, or steal to do whatever is necessary to demonstrate to our enemies that terrorism will not stand in the United States and those whose choose to ignore this will pay.

The USA Patriot Act also requires financial institutions to monitor all transactions and report any that may look suspicious. In order to prevent money laundering, civil and criminal penalties have been increased, any coin or currency over $10,000 not obtained in a financial trade or business must be reported, and provides civil immunity for any institution reporting unusual or suspicious financial activities. Financial institutions are required to disclose any requested personal account information of suspected accounts. Also, some sort of money laundering programs must be established at all financial institutions.

Similarly, Sonia Arrison, director of the Center for Freedom and Technology believes that the USA Patriot Act, "…ironically threatens to compromise basic rights that define a nation." Arrison also believes that notice is crucial to ensure that an individual being searched knows his rights under the Fourth Amendment. She gives the examples of making sure officials are only

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