One of the main functions of government is to protect individuals and their property. Such protection includes protection against terrorism. After the 9/11 attacks, law enforcement agencies in the United States were equipped with new powers courtesy of the Homeland Security Act and the Patriotic Act. These acts have provisions that infringe on individual rights and liberties. Provisions within the acts allow the law enforcement agencies the powers to track and monitor conversations of individuals or groups who they feel could be a threat to America’s security. This is a diminution of freedom for Americans. Some of the information shared by the law enforcement agencies is shared across the different agencies and this goes against the freedom of privacy that is guaranteed by the constitution. The American government has admitted to using national profiling as a strategy for increasing port surveillance. This is against the principle of discrimination (Horgan, 2014).
The government is justified to enforce these provisions in order to fulfill the duties that the government owes its citizens. As has been mentioned, the primary duty of the government is to protect the lives and property of its citizens. The constant searches and monitoring of communication have helped in ensuring protection and overall wellbeing of many people. There are people who are complaining that their rights are infringed upon. However, such rights cannot be weighed against the lives that may be lost when the government does not enforce strong surveillance in order to eliminate any terrorist threats.
There are different types of terrorism. However, the primary concern for American authorities is radical Islam. From a Biblical perspective, the laws can be justified as necessary to fighting this threat. Through the Bible, God establishes human pattern of life and the laws that humans should follow. If anybody goes against the laws, then the Bible sets forth the punishment for the individual. The purpose of this is to establish order in the society and ensure that God’s creation is protected (Martin, 2012).
- Horgan, J. (2014). The psychology of terrorism. New York, NY: Routledge.
- Martin, G. (2012). Understanding terrorism: challenges, perspectives, and issues. California:
SAGE.
