1. American Intercontinental University
Tracey Percifield
Unit 3 IP
June 26, 2011

2. INTRODUCTION
Since 9/11 many are borderline in saying the
government invades our privacy and others feel
that they don’t do enough to protect the people.
This has become a narrow line between protection
and privacy of the Forth Amendment. It is with
looking at many different angles of why the
federal government must have leniency in the
way they use NSL’s and the way they go about
getting a warrantless search.

3. The Fourth Amendment states that we have the
right to be secure in our homes, person, papers
and our effects against unlawful searches and
seizures (U.S. CONSTITUTION, 2011).
Since 9/11 the Federal Government has changed
it’s security view related to this amendment to
ensure the people’s safety and the safety of our
country that we live in.

4. Title III or otherwise known as the Omnibus
Crime Control and Safe Street Act of 1968 set
rules for wiretapping conversation and that it
doesn’t violate the Fourth Amendment (U.S.
Department of Justice, 2010).

5. Then came the Electronic Communication Privacy
Act of 1986 to include all electronic information
data transferred by computers (U.S. Department
of Justice, 2010).
The Stored Communication Act has restrictions
limiting if an email hasn’t been open then it
cannot be accessed, and if information has been
stored for over 180 days then it’s accessible (U.S.
Department of Justice, 2010).

6. 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 implemented and
revised the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism
Prevention Act of 2002 allowing Homeland Security
the proper means against acts of terrorism against our
country ( U.S. Department of Justice, 2010).
The Patriot Act was initiated by Congress and signed
by President Bush in 2001providing rules and
establishing counter measures against domestic and
international terrorism and providing Homeland
Security to use NSL’s at anytime and comes with a
gag order that they don’t have to be notified of their
presence ( U.S. Department of Justice, 2010).

7. It is with these Acts of law and the revising of them to
not only meet the people’s need but also serves as our
country’s protection against domestic and
international terrorism and acts of crime.
Because of 9/11 and trying to protect our country and
safeguard of Civil Rights Congress and the Presidents
have to give certain agencies the right to be able to
access our private and personally information. It is a
fine line between our Civil Rights and at the same
time those same rights have to have exceptions enable
to protect us from harm.

8. Citizens feel at times their Civil Rights are
infringed on and some citizens feel the
government doesn’t do enough for us and with
this in mind we have to protect both for a
complete balance and ensuring the citizens aren’t
violated against unreasonable searches and
seizures but safe prof our government from being
invaded.

9. CONCLUSION
Or Civil Rights are protected by the Constitution
but the government must amend these rights and
change them from time to time to ensure it keeps
within the boundaries and must permit
exceptions to provide safety to our country and
acts of terrorism, this is only possible by meeting
the needs of amending.

10. U.S. Constitution, Initials. (2010, April 7). U.s. fourth amendment
[Web log message]. Retrieved from
http://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_Am4.html
CRS Report for Congress, . (2002, April 18). The us patriot act [Web
log message]. Retrieved from
http://www.fas.org/irp/crs/RS21203.pdf
Congressional Research Service, . (n.d.). National security letters [Web
log message]. Retrieved from
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/intel/RL33320.pdf
U.S. Department of Justice, . (2010, April 7). Electronic communication
privacy act of 1986 [Web log message]. Retrieved from
http://www.it.ojp.gov/default.aspx?area=privacy&page=1285
U.S. Department of Justice, . (2010, April 7). The stored
communication act [Web log message]. Retrieved from
http://www.justice.gov/criminal/cybercrime/ssmanual/03ssma.pdf