Patriotism Has a New Look

The America of today is very different from the America of the Revolution. People no longer rely on horses to get to the market. A person no longer can shoot someone to settle a dispute, at least not legally. No one wears a powdered wig anymore and although men may still wear high heels, there are entirely different reasons for that. However, despite the many changes that have taken place over the last two hundred years, one thing has remained the same: patriotism. No matter what a person's race, religious background, or philosophical ideas, a patriot means the same thing today as it always has. A patriot is simply someone who loves their country to the extent that they are willing to stand up for their nation and the rights that their homeland promises it's citizens. Patriotism has taken on many forms throughout the years ranging from someone going overseas to fight in a war, to someone writing an essay in response to a violation of rights. In recent years however, the term "patriot" has begun to take on a more specific meaning. Due largely in part to the passing of the USA PATRIOT Act on October 12th, 2001, the word patriot has come to mean a person who is willing to sacrifice their right of privacy for their country. Despite this definition, ardent patriots of the old order will not simply let this go.

After September 11th, the nation was in a state of emotion, wanting to see action taken to counter terrorist acts of hostility. Congress was swept up in this movement as well and in their haste, Congress passed the USA PATRIOT Act that consisted of 342 pages (Blume 2). Most Congress members had not even had the chance to read it, said Georgia Republican Bob Barr (quoted in Blume 2). Those 342 pages had five main sections to it: criminal investigations, foreign intelligence investigations, money laundering, alien terrorists and victims, and a section for other crimes, penalties, and procedures (Doyle 2-5). The majority of the laws and regulations set forth in the act are beneficial to the citizens of the United States, but there are some huge concerns within the act. Despite all of the acts good ideas and sound efforts, it gives the Federal government the tools to search any records without ever having to notify the person they are looking in to (Blume 1). In essence, the right to privacy laid out in the fourth amendment has been revoked, claiming that national security is of greater concern. Patriots, of course, will know this to be true.

However, what good is it to be a patriot of a nation that takes away rights held most dear? The fourth amendment states that "the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants issued, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized," (Amar 64). Clearly, this amendment states that a person cannot be searched or investigated without some sort of notification or reason. However, the USA PATRIOT Act allows the government to search a library to see if someone has checked out "terrorist" literature.