War on Terror, War on Me?

While America is a comparatively safe country to live in, every now and then tragedy strikes within our borders. Among the most dreadful of these were the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. After this traumatic event, the President was issued several new powers in order to cope with a perceived increased risk to citizens’ safety. Among these was the infamous Patriot Act, which granted the president numerous powers to investigate and protect against terrorism.As these powers reached farther into public privacy than our government previously had, many criticized these policy changes as a way to infringe upon our personal affairs. Several of these new security measures, including the right to search a home without the owner’s knowledge or permission, seemed invasive. However, the government refused to reduce these stringent protocols, insisting that they were for the good of all.I certainly see the sense in many of these policies, and by and large they have been effective in maintaining the safety of American citizens. Many accomplishments that the government has made in the “war on terror” would not have been possible without these regulations. However, recently more legislation has been put through that is quite alarming and perhaps begins to cross the line.Last year President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act, and numerous complaints and even some fear has arisen in the wake of this decision. The bill essentially gives the government the right to indefinitely detain anyone whom they suspect of terrorist activity. No proof is needed, and no reason must be given for the arrest. While the President has assured the nation that these measures would only be used in extreme cases, the mere existence of such a bill is quite alarming to some.Something else slightly worrying is the way in which some new measures have been put forth. Additions and amendments have been made to these two acts in the last several months, as well as many others regarding the power of the government to investigate and halt terrorism. However, instead of being put through the usual processes, these changes have been slipped in at the end of other legislation where they could be easily missed. For instance, a recent piece of Missouri tax bill legislation also contained a footnote regarding the use of drones against suspected terrorists.While it certainly can be argued that all this new legislation works in favor of protecting the people of the United States, one must wonder why the government is trying to essentially sneak these new laws past its citizens and lawmakers. A question is also raised as to what remains unfound by the public that has been passed by the Senate and Congress. While I am in full support of safety measures when they are productive, I begin to worry that some of these laws could do more harm than good. The pattern of the last few years has shown been more and more drastic anti-terrorism legislation that could potentially infringe on the rights of American citizens. We have to wonder, what’s next?