"Good morning and welcome to the White House. Today, we take an essential step in defeating terrorism, while protecting the constitutional rights of all Americans. With my signature, this law will give intelligence and law enforcement official's important new tools to fight a present danger."" (Remarks by President George W. Bush at Signing of the Patriot Act, Anti-Terrorism Legislation October 26, 2001) With the signing of this bill opened the debate for one of the most contreversal laws enacted to protect our freedoms. This bill will be at the debate table for many years as Individual rights and public order advocates debate it. .
Individual rights advocates against.
The center for constitutional rights states that the U.S. Patriot Act argue that the Act gives to mush power to the executive branch of the government, therefore violating the U.S. Constitution by "deliberately choosing methodologies that are largely outside of the purview of both the legislature and judiciary."" They also state that the government is using this act to secretly hold non-citizens in violation of constitutional rights. By the executive branch running the War On Terrorism they are infringing on the constitutional right of all citizens alike. The organization feels that by detaining individuals without formal charges, and detaining them indefinitely, under the definition of Domestic Terrorism this violates their rights guaranteed under the Bill Of Rights. .
Another group, CDT.ORG, feels that The executive branch has no accountability for their actions and allows them to infringe on the rights of citizens at their discretion. The bill allows "Sneak and Peak- searches violating the 4th Amendment. The government is allowed virtually unlimited access to sensitive business records with out a usual search warrant. Also the government without a court order, using the broad definition of terrorism, can monitor computers, conduct secret investigations, monitor e-mail and web surfing, enjoy a broadened "roving- Wire Taping, and allows the FBI to collect evidence using a lower standard then what the current criminal justice system allows.
