Ethics and Homeland Security
Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, the United States government has implemented new programs to counter terrorism. It is likely that the government will implement higher levels security in the future. These homeland security measures can infringe on civil liberties.
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Definition of Homeland Security
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Homeland security is a term that describes security efforts to protect the U.S. from terrorism. National self-preservation is the key reason behind homeland security.
History
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In the past, the preservation of the nation was put first before the American ideal of democratic racial equality. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked the U.S. at Pearl Harbor. What then ensued was what Heather Wheeler, a former history teacher and historian, deemed "unnecessary precautions issued by the U.S." The U.S. was at war, and in 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. That bill ordered around 120,000 Japanese-Americans to be moved out of their homes and into internment camps. The reasoning behind this was that Japanese-Americans could be possible spies for Japan, and the U.S. was taking every precaution possible to avoid another attack.
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Post 9/11
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On December 2001, two months after 9/11, in an effort to safeguard the nation against more acts of terrorism, federal agents investigated around 50,000 Middle Eastern men who had entered the U.S. during the previous two years. Also, in the days following 9/11, lawmakers passed the USA Patriot Act, which revised laws regarding federal surveillance and the rules of criminal procedure. This Act allowed federal investigators to more easily wiretap multiple electronic devices and get citizen information through Internet means and from cable and telephone companies.
Today
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These laws, passed to safeguard U.S. citizens from possible acts of terrorism, are encroaching on civil liberties and human rights. The privacy and Fourth Amendment rights of U.S. citizens are under threat because of these laws. However, many argue that civil liberties come second to protecting the nation against terrorism. The debate is ongoing.
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References
- Kagg, John. "Another Question Concerning Technology: The Ethical Implications of Homeland Defence and Security Technologies"
- Marrin, Stephen. "Homeland Security Intelligence: Just the Beginning"
- Wheeler, Heather. "World War Two - Japanese Internment Camps in the USA"
- Siggins, Peter. "Racial Profiling in an Age of Terrorism"
- Kalyani. "Privacy Under Greater Threat after 9/11: Report"
