The Shocking Tragedy Of The Usa / Patriot Act Essay

Introduction The shocking tragedy on September 11, 2001 altered the course of American national security. Prior to the 9/11 attacks, homeland security was rarely debated as a hot topic, even within the small circle of policy elites (Kamarck, 2013, p. 34). The only prior homeland attack on America was Pearl Harbor and this was not on U.S. mainland. Many Americans were shocked that such a tragedy could occur on American soil and they are still shocked to this day. People are still recovering from this tragic event. The government knew that the country’s enemies still posed an enormous threat to the nation’s security. In response to the events that took place on 9/11, the United States Congress passed the USA/Patriot Act, which intensified the surveillance powers held by the federal government through the National Security Agency (NSA) and other federal agencies. This act increased national airport security procedures, metro security in most major U.S. cities, and extended the governme nt’s capacity to spy on citizens. There are many surveillance tactics currently used by the U.S. government. This includes cellphone data requests by local, state, and federal law enforcement authorities, drones, and stingray interceptors. Stingrays are an electronic surveillance device that impersonate a cell tower and intercept phone calls and text messages. In 2011, after the death of Osama Bin Laden, America had somewhat recovered from the 9/11 attacks, and became more lenient about nationalShow MoreRelatedThe Global Repercussions Of 9 / 111232 Words   |  5 Pagesago, not only the United States changed, but the World changed. The global repercussions of 9/11 are still being felt today. The attacks of the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. can be described as horrific, shocking, confusing and depressing. Tens of thousands of people witnessed it in person, and millions witnessed it through TV, read it in their newspapers, all who were seeking the reasoning behind this. So wh at happened? At 8:52 AM, a plane that had been