Patriot Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Patriot Act - Essay Example the freedom of speech and assembly (First Amendment); the freedom from unreasonable search and seizure (Fourth Amendment); the right to due process of law (Fifth Amendment); the right to a speedy, public and fair trial along with the right to counsel and to confront the accuser (Sixth Amendment), the freedom from cruel and unusual punishment (Eighth Amendment) and freedom from punishment without conviction (13th Amendment). According to the Justice Department, the PATRIOT Act gives support to and encourages enhanced sharing of information among various law enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal levels. In addition, this law assists law enforcement in their efforts to â€Å"connect the dots† from a wider scope of agencies when assembling evidence so as to â€Å"develop a complete picture† regarding possible threats from terrorists (Ward, 2002). The PATRIOT Act gives law enforcement more latitude when attempting to intercept transmissions of ‘suspected terrorist’s’ discussions via electronic surveillance. Agents of the government can now secretly tap into any citizen’s phone calls or internet communications including all visited web sites (Rackow, 2002). If directed by the Justice Department, police officers can enter people’s homes without benefit of a warrant and even seize their belongings and not ever have to inform the homeowner of the se arch. Individuals as well as religious and political organizations can legally be spied on by law enforcement agencies whether or not those agencies can produce any evidence a crime has or is planning to be committed. In addition, citizens are denied their Fifth Amendment right of due process by the Act. They can be forcibly detained and refused access to an attorney with no evidence being supplied by which to justify this previously illegal action. Critics of the Act suggest that is in contradiction to the tenants of the First Amendment. As an example, a citizen can be identified and treated as

Racial Profiling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Racial Profiling - Essay Example Moreover, the racial biased activity cannot be sanctified under any legitimate body and across the history of human crimes, it has been noted that at times the Racial Profiling gets limited to a very narrow activity, but there are also evidences where the act of Racial Profiling has been very stark and broad as in the past, police authorities have been found critical of a particular race or ethnic class in forming a reaction against suspicion and taking action against an individual based on a racial suspicion. In the United States particularly, the issue of Racial Profiling is gaining a very serious and a growing ground. With Americas first African American President elected four years ago, a considerable point of turning in the century old battle of America’s racial equality was being noticed. Yet, the government and the society of America have still left miles to cover when instances like frisking another former president and a global dignitary prop up. Former President of I ndia Dr, APJ Abdul Kalam was frisked twice at the JKF airport, New York, under a suspicion framed on his being a south East Asian and Muslim moreover. This essay shall throw light on the narrow shortcomings of the system of Racial Profiling and will also uphold the subtle factors that are hampering the growth, unity and position of the United States for maintaining Racial Profiling in the global domain and within the country as well (Debate.org, â€Å"History and Debate of Racial Profiling†; The Times of India, â€Å"Former President APJ Abdul Kalam Frisked Twice in US†). RACIAL PROFILING AND ACCEPTANCE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT PRACTICE At the outset of the argument itself, it is quite evident to quote that Racial Profiling should not get a proper and uniformed sanctity from law enforcement authorities across the nation. Already in many jurisdictions in the United States itself, the practice of Racial Profiling facet has been termed illegal. In the year 2001 itself, former p resident of America George W. Bush summoned a Joint Session of Congress and made a declaration that Racial Profiling is viewed by America as illegal and America is soon going to put an end to the practice. The United States of America, from its name to its founding ideals, envisage the philosophy of liberty, equality and fraternity. Upon these three pillars of liberty, equality and fraternity, did the founding fathers laid the pavement for America’s unity and integrity. However, the founding fathers of the nation while framing the constitution of America were least aware of the complexity, it was about to face. Suspecting any individual based on his race or ethnicity without a probable reason of suspicion actually curbs his or her individual liberty and dignity (Department of Justice, â€Å"Racial Profiling†). Under this light, Racial Profiling can be viewed as a battle of an individual against his race or color. African Americans, Hispanics or Asians who have the citi zenship in America and pay a considerable amount in the development of the nation are also not being spared. A man black in color if waits long at the corner of the street, waiting for his bus, definitely will be picked up by the patrolling van and asked questions about his backgrounds. Black teenagers in America are the softest targets of interrogation and they actually fear their free movement within the country. Situations for the Asians and specially Southeast Asians after the attacks of 9/11 are worst; they are stopped,