U.S.A.

Patriot Act and Libraries

Portfolio 2

What is the U.S.A Patriot Act?

Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act Passed on October 26, 2001 after the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon Most congressman had not yet read the proposal before it was initiated Section 215: Access to records and other items under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)

What Does it Mean?

Makes it simpler to access a persons private telephone and/or computer records Grants the FBI broad access to sensitive medical, financial, mental health and educational records with out a court order Allows the sharing of this information with the CIA, National Security Agency, Immigration and Naturalization Service, and the Secret Service

Are We Being be paranoid?

Creates a wider definition of domestic terrorism
Officials could allow sweeps of people in acts of public protest, subjecting them to enhanced penalties or wire-tapping May conduct secret or criminal investigations unrelated to terrorism Does it violate parts on the constitution? Allows indefinite detention of non-citizens, who are not terrorists, on minor Visa violations Better be Fire! Fire!!
He He!!

careful. They might be listening

What About the Library?

Could it cause Librarians to betray patron privacy? FISA could monitor patrons use of library computers Advocates of Library privacy challenge the view that library patron record privacy is trivial compared with stopping terrorism.

How can it Affect Us?

First Amendment: Freedom of Religion and Expression Second Amendment: The right to bear arms Third Amendment: The Quartering of Soldiers Fourth Amendment: Searches and Seizures Fifth Amendment: Protection against abuse of government authority Sixth Amendment: Rights Related to Criminal Prosecutions Seventh Amendment: Right to a Jury Trial in certain civil matters Eighth Amendment: Prohibits Excessive Bail and Cruel and Unusual Punishment Ninth Amendment: Rights of the people that are not specifically enumerated in the United States Constitution. Ninth Amendment: Rights of the people that are not specifically enumerated in the United States Constitution.

How Can it Affect Us (cont)

Listed are 10 of the 27 Amendments to the U. S. Constitution Many people feel the following; 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Amendment Rights are being stepped on, or misused, through the Patriot Act. Does the Patriot Act help us at all?

What is the Positive side?

A poll taken states that 90% of the public has not affected their civil liberties.*

It has created a better link between offices and departments; between those we to for safety.
Airlines take longer to board, but are now safer. Some of always wondered if Big Brother was out there watching. Now we know they are. Now
we know!

And knowing is half the battle!

Positive Side (cont.)

Many people feel that the benefits out weigh the risks. The ease of which information now travels is beneficial, especially in the medical fields. Unchallenged video recording has allowed law enforcement to keep criminals off the streets.

The Future is Ours to Decide

As a country it is up to all of us to decide what we want, and to make it happen. Learn everything you can about what is happening around you. As Americans we have it in us, the spirit, heart and soul, to do many great things.

But it is up to each and everyone of us.

And as Librarians, it is our place to make this information available to those who wish to use it.
Im a Librarian!!!

Works Cited
Bibliography
Current Controversies. Homeland Security. Ed. Andrea C. Nakaya. Vol. Current Controversies. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2005. 15 October 2012. Drabinski, Emily. "Librarians And The Patriot Act." Radical Teacher 77. Ed. Information Science & Technology Abstracts Library. Radical Teacher. Scien, 24 October 2006. Voyager Databases. 20 October 2012. Martins, Criatine S. & Martins, Sophia J. "The Impact of the USA Patriot Act on Records Management." Information Management Journal. Vol. 39.9. Library, Information Science & Technical Abstracts, 2005. Voyager Library Databases. 15 October 2012. Opposing Viewpoint Series. The War on Terrorism. Ed. Karen F.Baulker. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Out of all the books checked from the library, this one is the best. 19 October 2012. Opposing Viewpoints2006. Privacy. Ed. Jamuna Carroll. Vol. Privacy. Greenhaven, n.d. 25 October 2012.