The anniversary of the controversial Patriot Act is approaching. The Patriot Acts were passed in 2001 after the terrorizing events of September 11^th. The Acts gave the government the ability to spy on any person the government thought might be a terrorist. This allowed the government to stop and search anyone they wanted to without having any reason. Because of this many people believe, including one of my classmates who commented on the subject, that the government has used these acts over the years to unlawfully spy on the American people. Many share the belief that the government has used these Acts to spy on people based on their race rather than suspicion of terrorism. Many also feel that the Acts interfere with our constitutional rights.
I firmly agree with my classmate. These Acts should have never been passed in the first place. The fact that Congress felt pressured to take action to make the American people feel safe is no excuse. In fact as my classmate mentioned they made American people scared of the capabilities the government acquired with passing these Acts.
The legislation passed in Arizona is another example of laws passed that infringe on our rights as citizens. I hope that the American people force the government to remove the acts. I feel that removal is the only solution. If the Acts are only revised I feel the government will still abuse it. I think the government should abide by the notion that no one should be stopped and searched without clear evidence of criminal activity. Only then will we be considered a true democracy.