The USFG should regret the Patriot Act

Thank you to our esteemed opponents, ThinkBig and fire_wings. I look forward to an excellent exchange. No definitions or rules have been challenged or added, so those provided in the opening round are what we have to work with.I. IntroIt is first important to frame this debate as far as the time period. Post-9/11 the people were terrified and lawmakers were scrambling to ensure that nothing like the attacks of September 11 would happen again. We must remember throughout the debate that the passage of the act was intended to protect Americans. Whether or not the results ever materialized, it should not be regretted. The Patriot Act was the right path to take at the time of its passing, so even if its time has come to be repealed, we should not regret its existence.II. The Path Toward ProtectionThe point of the Patriot Act was to protect the general population from devastating terror attacks similar to September 11th. The law equipped law enforcement and intelligence officials with the tools needed to combat terrorism, which was a growing threat, perceived as even greater than materialized. "As recognized in the Declaration of Independence, the first responsibility of government is to preserve the lives and liberty of the people. Following the horrific events of Sept. 11, President Bush, the Senate and the House of Representatives, in a rare display of bipartisanship, vowed to do everything within the boundaries of the Constitution to prevent additional terrorist attacks. The Patriot Act is one of the most significant tools Congress has given to law enforcement to combat the people that want to kill Americans on U.S. soil. The Patriot Act has enhanced the fight against terrorists in four key areas: (1) it has removed obstacles to investigating terrorism; (2) it has strengthened the criminal laws against terrorism; (3) it has enhanced the federal government's capacity to share intelligence; and (4) it has updated the law to keep pace with tremendous advances in technology." [1]The main focus of the law was to make sure the people were protected. The government should never regret an attempt to keep the people safe, especially when it is a rational reaction to a major catastrophe.III. DemocracyThe United States was founded as a government by the people, for the people. Therefore, representatives should respect opinions of their constituents. In the years following 9/11, nearly two thirds of respondents believed the United States was either "about right" in the balance of privacy and protection or hadn't gone far enough restricting liberties to ensure safety. [2] We must uphold this core value of American culture and respect the wishes of the people. Thankfully, most lawmakers did. [1]IV. Peace of MindWhether or not the Patriot Act was effective, the American people felt safer with it in effect, as evident by the support it garnered. This intangible benefit is extremely important, because the goal of terrorism is to strike fear into its victims. The Patriot Act was able to successfully combat the major goal of terrorists everywhere, and in turn was largely successful.V. ConclusionThe Patriot Act was passed, as it should have been, to quell fears during a very volatile time in American history. Though the Patriot Act may have had its time come and go, it definitely had a time where it was the right move for American lawmakers to make.[1] http://www.discovery.org...[2] http://www.gallup.com...