Patriot Act infringes on basic rights

Editor’s Note: Student Union’s weekly columns are a joint effort of the region’s high schools, the Bangor Daily News and Acadia Hospital. The following column was written by Mount Desert Island Regional High School students. Their adviser is Beth Blugermanes.

As Americans we all remember what our country stands for: justice, rights and equal opportunities for all people, regardless. We value these rights tremendously, and specifically celebrate them on Independence Day, Election Day and Veterans Day.

We are also reminded of our commitment to freedom during February and March, when we recognize Black History Month and Women’s History Month respectively. One current controversy that challenges our interpretation of the Constitution and the meaning of freedom is the USA Patriot Act.

In the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, we are forced to make choices that might jeopardize our freedom, safety, or both. We are forced to accept the realities of the world in which we live. This is a world where airliners are used as missiles, and the opposition dresses as civilians and are of all ages, young and old.

One government response to the threat of terrorism is the USA Patriot Act, which allows law enforcement and other intelligence agencies unrestricted access to all personal documents, including student records, library files and medical files, without the knowledge of the person being investigated or a warrant.

This is a direct violation of our Fourth Amendment right to protection from illegal search and seizure. The Patriot Act also infringes on First Amendment rights to expression, Fifth Amendment rights that protect accused persons, Sixth Amendment rights to trial, and Eighth Amendment protections from cruel and unusual punishment.

The Patriot Act angers many Americans, who feel that the law violates their freedoms, but its supporters continue to argue that it is a way to protect our nation from another Sept. 11. President Bush called it “an essential tool” during his Jan. 20 State of the Union address.

So we are now forced to choose between our stated constitutional rights and our desire to trust the government that the Patriot Act will be used only to prevent another terrorist act.

Although many believe the Patriot Act is not the answer America is looking for, the country still needs communication, security and crisis planning to help satisfy our thirst for safety.

According to President Bush, the act is meant to “allow federal law enforcement to better share information, to track terrorists, to disrupt their cells, and to seize their assets.”

The government says it has always used some of these methods.

But the Patriot Act gives the government unprecedented reach against anyone who might be suspected of so-called “terrorist” actions, even if they are not known to be affiliated with any terrorist cell. The Patriot Act is also suspect because of its timing and the amount of time spent on it. It was passed just 46 days after the worst terrorist attacks in American history with little debate, in a climate of vulnerability and a desire to do right by the victims of Sept. 11.

An even greater problem with the Patriot Act might be its name. An acronym for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Requested to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism, the Patriot Act calls on us to give up rights that have been the centerpiece of American justice for more than 200 years.

Patriotism is defined as “one who loves, supports and defends one’s country.” Nowhere in that definition does it say that one should give up one’s constitutional rights to do so.

This is not the first time that the country has been forced to deal with extreme threats. We need to work hard to ensure that we keep our rights while still fighting the war on terror. If we are to act like patriots, then we will use the Constitution as our guide at this critical moment in our history.

Schools participating in Student Union include Hampden Academy, Brewer High School, John Bapst Memorial High School, Old Town High School, Mount Desert Island Regional High School, Stearns High School in Millinocket, Nokomis Regional High School, Hermon High School, and Schenck High School in East Millinocket.