The Patriot Act: Will It Continue to Yield Unprecedented Power?

After the 9/11 attacks, Americans were willing to give up nearly any (privacy) rights our forefathers had laid down centuries before to ensure that such a catastrophic event would not occur on US soil ever again. With that in mind, the government established the Patriot Act which permitted certain agencies to access information on individuals within the country that include telecommunication, financial and credit records. While it was to be ensured that these agencies would only look into the records of people suspected of terrorist activity, there wasn't truly any form of verification method to guarantee that this was actually the case.

With certain elements of the Patriot Act set to expire at the end of this year, three Democratic members of the House have put forth proposals that would alter the powers handed out by the Act. The plan looks to significantly limit the power the government has in terms of who they can target. Under the new proposals, government agencies would only be able to target those who were considered agents of a foreign power. It is unsure whether or not these proposals will go anywhere but it seems as though the government is walking the fine line between ensuring its citizens private rights while still maintaining adequate security measures in this unstable and uncertain world. I respect the government's goal of keeping us, its citizens, safe from any threats, whether from inside or outside this country, but knowing that they could follow you without any true rhyme or reason always just felt a bit too creepy.