USA Patriot ActAfter the devastating attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, this country rushed to take measures to ensure future protection. New techniques must be developed to protect the nation from the threat of terrorism. Along with the new techniques came the decision to enact laws that some said crossed the threshold of violating the civil liberties of this county and those who lived there, guaranteed by the United States Constitution. “On October 26, 2001, Public Law 107-56, Unifying and Strengthening America by Providing the Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Disrupt Terrorism, also known as the USA Patriot Act, took effect” (Stern, 2004, p. ). Addressing Congress, President George Bush declared, “You are either with us or you are with the terrorists” (Stern, 2004, p. 1114). Congress knew that by signing the bill, it expected every American to give up some of their guaranteed rights. Rights such as the right to privacy, freedom of speech, and the right to know when a citizen is under investigation by the government are just a few. The law has been described as a “law enforcement wish list” (Stravelli, 2003, p. 1). The wish list allows law enforcement "to obtain personal information about people and conduct surveillance, and in some cases impose secrecy on their law enforcement activities" (Updated day: USA Patriot Act, 2007, p. The most controversial provisions of the Patriot Act are those that changed the ability of law enforcement to conduct investigations. Stravelli (2003) Approaching the issue from a law enforcement perspective, the Patriot Act contributed to the fight against terrorism by allowing government agencies to share information. ...... middle of document ......tp://www.npr.org/news/specials/patriotact/patriotactdeal.html.Boykoff, J. (2006). Review of How Patriotic Is the Patriot Act? Freedom versus security in the age of terrorism, by Amitai Etzioni. The Journal of Politics, 68(2), 457-487. Paye, JC (November 2006). A permanent state of emergency. Monthly Review, 29-37. Stern, J. (2004). Fearing evil. Social Research, 71(4), 1111-1126. Stravelli, G. (October 3, 2003). Federal law has had a major impact on local law enforcement. Atlanticville, p. 1.Updated: USA Patriot Act. (December 10, 2007). Issues and controversies on file. Retrieved November 22, 2010, from Issues & Controversies database at http://www.2facts.com/article/i1000240l.Van Bergen, J. (2002). The USA PATRIOT was planned before 9/11. Global problems. Retrieved from http://www.globalissues.org/article/342/the-usa-patriot-act-was-planned-before-911.