Name Name
Paper #3

Our Declining Civil Liberties
      The United States Government since September 11th, has taken action against terrorism and developing new laws that they believe to better enhance America. Bush has stated that terrorists must never be allowed to use our freedoms against us (Dunlap, n.pag.). Our freedoms and diversity are two traits that make this country different from the rest of the world. Our country as always open to visitors from other countries and people coming here to find a better life. Now the government has to be more cautious and put limitations on certain actions. The fact that the terrorist used our own freedoms against us is now causing the Bush Administration to revise some of America’s current regulations. The governmental officials of America are changing the way laws are being carried out through new laws being enacted, punishing people for actions that were not considered crimes before September 11th, and forcing citizens to give up their own innate civil liberties. 
      Currently the government is making changes to better this nations’ safety. The Freedom of Information Act, the Patriot Act and the Homeland Security Act are new laws that have been adopted to make citizens feel safer and more at ease with what is occurring in our government. 
The Freedom of Information Act now lets you receive government information that you have the right to obtain. The Homeland Security Act created a new division to our government strictly dedicated to the security of protection of our country. The Patriot Act encourages citizens of this country to support and defend our country. 

      The government is now beginning to take control over our rights such as freedom of speech and religion. In West Virginia, a fifteen year old girl wore an anti-war t-shirt to school and was suspended. She wanted to start an anarchy club but the school would not let her. So, she decided to wear shirts that supported her club with anarchy club written on the shirts. 
      She continued fighting against the school even though she did not attend that school                        anymore. The state supreme court refused to hear her case. Five years ago administrations              were not able to dictate what people could wear or what words could be printed on the                  shirt (Smith 1). 
Now it is considered treason to express your opinion against the views of the United States government. The government is now very sensitive to thoughts and ideas expressed against the United States. Another example is on college campuses members of the staff are at risk to be fired if they give their opinion about the September 11th attacks. 
      Also, congress passed a bill two years ago that gave the government the right to imprison people without due process and the right to invade the citizen’s privacy. The FAA is now trying to make more changes to better accommodate their customers. The FAA wants its customers to feel safer when flying. The current Chief of Security resigned in October of 2001 because the FAA thought it would benefit the customers if air marshals were placed on each commercial flight. The FAA thought that this move would make the customers feel safer in the skies. His advisors were upset by his opinion (Dunlap, n.pag).
      
      In conclusion, our country has greatly changed since the terrorist attacks on September, 11th. Our citizens do not look the same at people from different countries. We are now suspicious that maybe foreign people living in the United States are plotting against our country and not living here to just have a better life. We do not know if they are for us or against us. The country is still going through many changes and regulations are not set in stone yet. Once this uncertainty comes to an end Americans will feel more at ease. For the most part people have been going about their normal lives again. Directly after the attacks Americans did not fly on airplanes. They also stopped buying large items such as refrigerators, washers and dryers, and cars. Nobody was starting new businesses either due to the uncertainty of our nation. Now we are in a slow up hill battle to resume the way our country was before September 11th.