The Patriot ActAfter the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, our country underwent a change that dramatically affected the core values ​​that our founding fathers instilled in this country. Since that tragic day in September, the consequences of the attacks have begun to call into question our civil liberties that we hold so dear in this country. Just 45 days after the September 11 attacks, with virtually no debate, Congress passed the USA Patriot Act on October 5, 2001. This act expanded the surveillance powers of national law enforcement and international intelligence agencies. The controversy that needs to be debated is whether or not this legislation violated, in whole or in part, the Constitution and/or in any way endangered our civil liberties. Former presidential candidate John Kerry opposes the Patriot Act, saying, "We are a nation of laws and freedoms, not shots in the night." So it's time to end the John Ashcroft era. That starts with replacing the Patriot Act with a new law that simultaneously protects our people and our freedoms. John Kerry is right to suggest that the patriotic act is eroding our freedoms. Those who believe that the patriotic act will protect us from harm fail to see the dark side of the legislation that is stripping us of our rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. The United States Patriot Act or the Uniting and Strengthening America Providing the Adequate Tools Necessary to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 is a U.S. legislative act enacted in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The bill is passed 98-1 in the U.S. Senate and 356-66 in the U.S. House of Representatives; Senator Russ Feingold cast the Senate's only dissenting vote. President George W. Bush signed the bill into law on October 26, 2001. Deputy Attorney General Viet D. Dinh was the primary architect of the law. In the article written by Michelle Malkin titled “Will Anti-Terrorism Legislation Make America Safer?” Malkin defends, although unpopular, the US Patriot Act which allowed law enforcement to make America safer from terrorists. He says the act has already thwarted further acts of terrorism by helping law enforcement dismantle terrorist cells, convict people guilty of terrorism-related crimes, and prevent foreign criminals and terrorists from entering the United States. ...undermines the Fourth Amendment of our Constitution, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures. Obviously there was some concern about this on the part of Congress, which is why the Patriot Act expired after five years. One day after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, President Bush vowed, "We will not allow this enemy to win the war by changing our way of life or limiting our freedoms." Unfortunately, by becoming an aggressive supporter of the Patriot Act, the President is doing just that. During his State of the Union address, Bush emphasized that a key role of our government is to protect us from foreign terrorists. However, if the Bush administration continues to support measures like the Patriot Act, then an important question arises: who will protect us from our own government? I conclude my position with a quote from Senator Russel Feingold, the only senator who voted in opposition. to the USA Patriot Act, Feingold passionately states: “Preserving our freedom is one of the primary reasons we are now engaged in this new war on terrorism. We will lose that war without firing a shot if.?