The Limitations Placed Upon Freedom after 9/11 - Essay Example

According to the Patriots Act, the American government can search the homes of American citizens without citing any reasons and without suspecting any crimes. Similarly, it allows the law enforcement agencies to carry out the searches of private records including bank records, etc. Further restrictions also allow the law enforcement agencies to perform the surveillance of the political as religious parties.

These are some of the acts through which American freedom has essentially been put under restrictions however; there have also been some indirect results of the same. It is argued that due to these restrictions there is a general dissent against those who are speaking openly against the restrictions placed on individual freedom. Incidents like turning away of the anti-war protestors from Seattle train stations are indicating increasing intolerance for the people who are not ready to sacrifice their freedom. (American Civil Liberties Union)

One of the key differences between current restrictions on freedom and one during the McCarthy era is the difference in the target. During the McCarthy era, communists and communism were the targets and the government tried its best to restrict the communist influence within the country. (Evans) At that time, the primary focus was on the government employees, and thousands of Americans were accused without any reason for supporting communism however, during the current era, almost every American has been brought under the umbrella.

During First World War, there were certain communities that were targeted such as African Americans, German Americans, etc. Further, issues such as nativism became evident during this era giving whole American society a new dimension in curbing the freedom of individuals and different communities. At that time, minorities were targeted however, during the post 9/11 era, immigrants of Muslim origins have been targeted due to suspected links with Al-Qaeda- the organization behind the 9/11 attacks.

The balance between freedom and security during the war era always tilt in the favor of security and it is because of this reason that government imposes restrictions on certain freedoms. However, the post 9/11 period is something which is a relatively new phenomenon and new approaches were introduced to curb the freedom of individuals. Though the Constitution protects the rights of private individuals, however, legislations like Patriot Acts have been constitutionally passed to give the government an unrestricted right to put restrictions on the freedom of individuals.