Safety versus Freedom, the impact of the USA Patriot Act

Christine Freeman Shaub

America stands for liberty and freedom. However, there are times in history when safety and freedom have been challenged. In order to avoid being attacked in the future, laws such as the USA Patriot Act set in motion a loss of liberties for American citizens in the name of protecting the citizens. This unit was devised so students could learn more about the various tools given to law enforcement for counterterrorism measures. Students will learn that Fusion Centers have been set up as an effective and unified relationship between all sectors of emergency systems (including public sector, private sectors, local, state, federal agencies), as a means for a rapid response to any major incident. This was implemented after September 11, 2001. Students will create a family vacation where they will learn the various guidelines from the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) when travelling by air. They will conduct research on averted terrorist groups and study surveillance tools used to stop such plots. Students will also learn about career opportunities offered in the Department of Homeland Security. (Recommended for high school grades 10-12 and Introduction to Criminal Justice courses at the Junior College Level)