Public Opinion Poll Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Public Opinion Poll - Essay Example Citizens were brainwashed to keep them gullible. History was re-written. Big Brother's message was written for all to see: War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength (Orwell 1949). America might be closer to Orwell's nightmare than anyone would like to admit. On October 26, 2001, just 45 days after the September 11 terrorist attacks, Congress passed H.R. 3162, the United and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, commonly referred to as the Patriot Act. This law was passed to "deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and around the world, to enhance law enforcement investigatory tools, and for other purposes." Some of the provisions in the Act have come under intense scrutiny and criticism by many civil liberties organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the American Library Association (ALA). The majority of the objections stem from the enhanced surveillance powers it gives the executive branch of our government, more specifically sections 213, which allow officials to inspect private property without providing notice, section 214, which allows the government to implement what are known as "trap and trace searches", section 215, which allows personal information held by a third party to be reviewed without notice to that individual, and section 218, which calls for the compilation of foreign intelligence information. These provisions are seen as an infringement on the rights granted to Americans in the Bill of Rights (ACLU online, 2005). The Patriot Act is the wrong solution to preventing terrorism, and it opens the door for further intrusions on civil libert ies. Civil liberties are those rights granted to Americans by the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. Since the passing of the Patriot Act, several of those rights have been violated. namely the First amendment, which grants the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and the right to peaceful assembly. The Fourth amendment grants the freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. The Fifth Amendment says that no person will be deprived of life, liberty, or property without the due process of law. And the Sixth amendment which guarantees the right to a speedy trial by an impartial jury, the right to be informed of the facts of the accusation, the right to confront witnesses and the right to have the assistance of counsel (ACLU online, 2005). In November of 2003 the Gallup Poll conducted a survey on how much Americans were willing to sacrifice in the name of security. According to that survey most Americans feel that the trampling of civil liberties is too high a price to pay for security. They also are growing more likely to say that the Bush Administration has gone too far in his crusade against terrorism. (Carlson 2004) The Bush Administration has made numerous attempts to restrict basic American rights. For example, in October of 2003, the White House banned media coverage of the hundreds of caskets that house the remains of soldiers killed in Iraq. In defense of their censorship, the Pentagon claimed this coverage posed a threat to Homeland Security, although they made no attempt to explain how that could be. The image of the caskets would make many Americans question what