Patriot Act

The United States violates people physically, and singles people out based on race or region. Airport screenings are bias based on where a traveler is going or coming from. Anyone traveling through Afghanistan, Iraq, Cube, Algeria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, or Yemen will automatically be searched along with their luggage, before being allowed to bored a U.S. bound flight. The 14 countries that have been singled out to require additional screening are mostly primarily Muslim. Even though a terrorist could come from any country in the world including our own, the United States has taken a special interest in singling out these countries. By labeling these countries like we have, we have unfairly prejudged everyone who is from those countries. Many Muslims from these 14 nations feel they are being racially profiled. (Gentile 1) Also it has been long suspected that the random additional screenings the TSA is allowed to do is also bias. Without reason at certain airport security checkpoints TSA is allowed to ask any individual to undergo a random security check. Without justification many people have felt that the TSA selections for random additional screenings can be asked based on a person's race. In order to maintain airport security the government should not sacrifice our morals by singling out people based on race or religion like we have begun to do. (Airport Security Policy of Control 1)

Recently the TSA has instituted a new type of "pat-down procedure to all American airports. This new "pat-down procedure is aggressive and intrusive to all people who are subjected to go through it. The old "pat down" procedure was back handed witch only touched the person briefly and appropriately. With no proof or reason that the old back "pat-down" did not work the TSA switched to the new front hand "pat-down". The new front hand process allows for the persons doing the touching to touch the individual inappropriately and can touch the individual almost anywhere. Anyone can be asked to do one of these new "pat-downs" randomly while going through security at any U.S. airport. A person also might be asked to do a "pat-down" for setting off the metal detectors, wearing baggy clothes, or for refusing to take of their headwear.(Gonzalez 3) In a poll from the Washington Post they found only 50% of people are opposed to the new "pat-down.(Rosen 1) There is however an alternative a person has besides doing a "pat-down" and that is to have a full body scan. A person should not have to go through an inappropriate "pat-down" just to board a flight, especial when there is not real reason on why.

Another new form of security recently instituted by the TSA is the full body scan. This new full body scan is embarrassing and degrading to people. Now every United States airport has this new body scanning machine that can take a picture of a person underneath their clothes. The camera can take a picture of a fully clothed person and make it look as if they wearing almost nothing at all.(Facts on Airport Security 1) There is still some public speculation on this machine because the TSA has not said exactly what all the machine can see but only that it can see all metallic and non metallic items a person might be concealing. People are concerned that these images of them almost naked can be saved and later looked at for non security purposes. The TSA has claimed that once the pictures are viewed they are erased afterwards, although the U.S. Marshals Services has come forward and said that more than 35,000 images have already been saved.(Rosen 3) The only alternative a person has if they do not want to take a full body scan is to have a "pat-down. In the same poll conducted by the Washington Post only 32% of people are opposed to the full body scans.(Rosen 1) No one should have to have a picture taken of them viewed naked just to board a plane.

The patriot Act enables the government to violate out civil liberties. The Patriot Act violates our 1st amendment right to freedom of speak. With the Patriot Act the government can bring legal action to anyone who speaks about helping the government obtain personal information about another individual.(Surveillance Under the USA Patriot Act 1) Let's say for example if an FBI agent had a warrant that forced a librarian to give them records on everything a person checked out of the library, the librarian would not be allowed to tell anyone what happened. This is true for many Patriot Act issued warrants that require the government to use outside sources to obtain records through different venues. Also with the Patriot Act it allows the government to monitor websites and certain book activity. Just the books and websites a person views is believed to be enough to spark the government's interest in a person.(Abramson

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