Assessing American Civil Liberties in Post 9/11 attacks

Abstract

On September 11, 2001, four suicide bombings hit the American soil, targeting important places such as the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, and the pentagon in Washington. Nineteen members of Al-Qaeda hijacked four planes and killed almost three thousands persons. These attacks highly affected Americans. It also affected immediately American civil liberties and violated their civil rights. American civil liberties are very important aspect of the American way of life. It is a distinguishing mark that makes them special from other nations. The founding fathers when trying to protect these civil liberties believed that drafting them in one document is the best way to maintain them for future generation. Without these liberties they will fall under the rule of power ful government . Preserving civil liberties during period of two world wars and cold war was the challenge to Americans, that phase of time witnessed the various attempts of the government to limit those liberties in favor of the greater good. At some point of that time, Americans loosened up to the government due to fear of war and losing the war to communists. They woke up at the few last moments and saved what they can and that was only after the government established new agencies, passed some laws that limits civil liberties and developed new means of surveillance to monitor every citizen of American soil. The action of American government that was based on its thirst for more power and more control lead it to violate the Bill of Rights by the agencies the government created. After 9/11 attacks, agencies started using the full power given to them in order to achieve security and stop future attacks on American soils. The patriot act and the surveillance methods were such actions that frightened Americans more than it made them feel peace. At the end, these experiences allowed citizens to know what is threatening their liberty and how should they protect it in order to pass it to future generations