Project Proposal

Imagine picking up your phone to talk to your best friend without knowing that there was someone else listening in on your conversation. For some odd reason you were placed on a federal watch list and whenever you pick up your phone, so does a federal agent. If you say something suspicious in the phone call, you’ll find agents at your door asking if you have a few moments to answer some questions. This is a reality for many people in the United States each day.

The topic I am going to investigate for this project is the unwarranted wiretapping by the U.S. Government on legal residents. In the years following the September 11th attacks, the government has come to believe that certain civil liberties can be sacrificed for the greater good of the country. There is legal precedent that the government may make decisions that may put certain liberties on hold for the preservation of the country. However, the amount of unwarranted wiretapping has become too excessive and is being used for reasons other than they were initially meant for. In addition, the power bestowed upon federal authorities by the USPATRIOT act is being abused. It is difficult to openly criticize this issue for fear of being labeling as “unpatriotic”. People are being accused and charged for crimes other than the one they were originally being investigated for, often in situations where they should never have been investigated in the first place.

In this research assignment I hope to learn more about how this is
affecting the lives of many people in this country. I would also like to look at the legal ramifications and precedents that protect these actions. I hope to find out what it is that citizens can do to uphold their rights. I think the more a person is educated about an issue, the more he can do to fight for any injustice he believes in.