Ethics Assignment #3

The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act was signed into law by by George W. Bush on October 26, 2001. This law allows law enforcement to use surveillance against more crimes of terror. It allows federal agents to follow sophisticated terrorists trained to evade detection. Also allows law enforcement to conduct investigations without tipping off terrorists.  As well as allowing federal agents to ask a court for an order to obtain business records in national security terrorism cases. The Patriot Act facilitated information sharing and cooperation among government agencies so that they can better "connect the dots."

Many provisions of the Patriot Act are in direct violation of many amendments in the bill of rights, most specifically the 4th amendment. The fact that the President can arbitrarily wiretap someone’s phone, search their mail, search their homes all without judicial warrants obtained in advance, violates the 4th amendment. Whether the Patriot Act makes us more safe or not, I think it is disturbing to give that much power to the government. Those that support the act assume that the government will only use the law for our safety and benefit. 

Dr. MLK says everyone has a moral obligation to follow the laws that are just. Yet, the laws that are seen as unjust, should be disobeyed by the people. According to King, just law is a moral law or the law of God, whereas unjust law is made up by humans and does not have anything common with eternal and natural law. I think for this reason; Dr. King would oppose this bill. I don’t know if it is really possible to disobey this law and engage in civil disobedience. This law is not one that can be outright disobeyed. How can we disobey increased surveillance of our actions? This makes this even more disturbing since we have no effective way of combating the law.