- Include anintroductory paragraph, where you clearly outline a “real-life” instance of your social issue and you give a thesis statement that indicates your perspective (seePart 2: Writing Your Introductionfor an example).
- Includethree body paragraphswhere you include details, examples, and quotes from at least three of the course readings to help you develop and support your key points (seePart 3: Writing Your Body Paragraphs. for an example).
- Includeone body paragraphwhere you discuss how your core values inform or influence your perspective on your selected social issue (seePart 3: Writing Your Body Paragraphs. for an example).
- End your essay with aconcluding paragraphwhere you restate your thesis, summarize your key points, and leave the reader with the "so what?"( seePart 4: Writing Your Conclusionfor an example).
Hugo Concha Summary-Response Freedom and Security Article #1: “Liberty vs. Security: An old debate renewed in the age of terror” (David Haynes) Summary: In the reading selection, “Liberty vs. Security: An old debate renewed in the age of terror,” David Haynes informs his audience how the National Security Agency and other three-letter organizations monitor and analyze American citizens’ phone calls and text messages may be exceeding their responsibility when it comes to controlling the national security. Haynes talks about his “churchgoing grandmother who lives on a farm in northern Indiana” Aunt Margie, giving the perfect example of how innocent people are being targeted of snooping and eavesdropping from the NSA in the hunt to catch any possible terrorist threats. He believes that this type of procedure will not prevent any terrorist attack just violating their peoples’ privacy and constitutional rights. Haynes was successful in proving his claim that there are no checks and balances within the government's branches when he disclosed that in 2013, Edward Snowden leaked confidential material about the National Security Agency's extensive spying operations. According to Haynes, Edward Snowden's act of disclosing the eavesdropping program was an act of patriotism, and he should be viewed as a hero since we would not have known about risks to our liberty if it had not been for Edward. The House of Representatives passed a bill to end the abuse of NSA after whistleblower Edward Snowden made headlines. The USA Freedom Act imposes new limitations on the telecommunications of U.S. citizens. He mentions that this bill’s introduction has split the Republican party in half with people who care for and against this bill. Noting Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell believes these powers are established to enable the NSA to find a “needle in a haystack.”. After learning of Snowden's revelations on the likely violations of laws found, Sensenbrenner, a man who helped draft the Patriot Act, felt "betrayed by an overweening government". Haynes discusses the founding fathers and how the system of checks and balances was used to resist power corruption. This system, he believes, does not work because one branch of government is corrupt. Response: My opinion and thoughts about this article are different from his conclusions. I believe the NSA should have the access to monitor calls and texts to aid them in securing our nation and provide security to the people who live here while preventing a possible attack. I believe that giving up some freedom in exchange for protection is a necessary evil in preventing the terrible people who exist in this world. If the United States loses faith in its government, some citizens may take actions that are worse than or almost as bad as the terrorist attacks attempted. Riots and violent protests would be a prime indication of how the United States would behave in the worst-case scenario. As a cybersecurity specialist, I value an individual's privacy; nevertheless, every day, I am tasked with preserving data, which goes against my beliefs. With this experience, I see the need for such powers as technology progresses, because it helps our government to safeguard the safety of the average American while also allowing them to track down criminal actors within our borders. Article 2: “Security and Freedom” (Nicholas D. Kristof) Summary: Nicholas Kristof focuses on the awful incident of 9/11 in the reading selection "Security and Freedom." He considers how the United States handled the crisis as something to be proud of, despite one item to be embarrassed of. He claims that President Bush handled this difficult issue differently than previous presidents. Extrajudicial detentions, which can appear to be a violation of civil freedoms, were used by President Bush. Kristoff demonstrates the unfair double standards that the United States exhibits when it comes to human rights, and he has been heavily criticized for undermining American civil liberties. He explains that the US inclined for being reactive when it comes to security threats. Kristof notes that America has a sort of tradition of raising the security during a crisis because “The public is willing to compromise in its embrace of the Bill of Rights when it feels the need to adapt to heightened risk.”, meaning that only then, measures normally found unconstitutional would be deemed necessary by the general public. Everything about the Bush administration was kept under wraps, including secret detentions, immigration hearings, and evidence. Civil liberties were violated, leaving no room for public scrutiny or meaningful debate. The moral of his article is that the United States exploited universal human rights and granted privileges simply for being a citizen. Kristof concluded by implying that the present government trend he was witnessing was uncannily comparable to that of a totalitarian regime such as China's. Response: Although many people may disagree with Kristof's assessment of how the US handled the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist assault, I must admit that I agree with him to some level. He exposes the inequity of universal human rights that the United States ignores. As mentioned in Kristof’s article, detainee Uzi Bohadana, was wrongly labeled as a terrorist due to his appearance. He was badly beaten by inmates because of the wrongful accusations. When it comes to human rights, the U.S. typically disregards foreigner’s rights simply because they are not U.S. citizens. He claims that politicians frequently exploit national crises to impinge on our civil liberties. Kristof believes that “At times of national stress, political leaders take shortcuts with the law, to general applause.”, and that this is a historical pattern in our country. I agree with his argument, at least to the extent that political leaders use national incidents as a means to advance covert agendas. What seems more theoretical than anything is how he compares the U.S. government with a totalitarian government like that of China at the time. The article was writing only a year after 9/11, the government itself was still in a state of shock and a reactive posture, desperately trying to prevent another attack by any means. Even though they justified an infringement of liberties by citing national security, Kristof is true in his assertion that political leaders frequently overstep their bounds in robbing us of our rights. Hugo Concha Quote Log Social Issue: Freedom and Security Topic: Freedom and Security Thesis: Balancing freedom and national security are controversial because the government may violate civil rights and liberties but in return, Americans receive the feeling of safety within our nation. Reasons: (1) The significant increase of government monitoring programs and operations can overstep personal boundaries and violate civil rights. (2) During a time of crisis, the government prioritized security and safety without considering the continuously violations of citizens' rights. (3) Law enforcement agencies used the 9/11 aftermath as a reason to violate civil liberties and amendment rights under new national security measures and laws created to safeguard the nation. (4) The Patriot Act was used to aid the government to locate and prevent any type of terrorism against the United States and/or its people. Entry #1 Source: Haynes, D. D. (2015, May 14). Liberty vs. Security: An old debate renewed in the age of terror. Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel. http://archive.jsonline.com/news/opinion/liberty-vs-security-an-old-debate-renewed-in-the-age-of-terror-b99500066z1-303775951.html/ Quote: “My Aunt Margie is a gentle soul nearing her 90th birthday. She is a loving, churchgoing grandmother who lives on a farm in northern Indiana. She has been married for 60 years to my Uncle Thornton. But you can't be too careful — even if that means grandmothers are caught in the dragnet. Some senators want the NSA to retain its ability to collect her phone records — along with the records of millions of other Americans” (Haynes, 2015, para. 3). Paraphrase: Some members of the government want the National Security Agency (NSA) to keep its power to record and collect information of millions of Americans including people who do not exhibit threatening behavior (Haynes, 2015). Explanation of quote selection and connection: This quote illustrates that anyone can become a victim of surveillance and eavesdropping from any government agency, the people who are targeted do not need to have necessarily a dark past with a criminal record, a connection with any suspicious foreign entity, or any questionable action. Entry #2 Source: Funk, A. & Linzer, I. (2020, March 17). How the coronavirus could trigger a backslide on freedom around the world. Washington Post. https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy.umgc.edu/docview/2377836585?accountid=14580 Quote: “Certain limitations on fundamental freedoms are unavoidable during public health crises. But such restrictions must be transparent, and necessary, and proportionate to limiting the outbreak. Temporarily curbing mass gatherings can be justified, as long as authorities are transparent and provide details about when restrictions will be lifted. Yet much of the enhanced surveillance and censorship of recent weeks does not meet these standards” (Funk & Linzer, 2020, para. 9). Paraphrase: During a health crisis or pandemic, the authorities need to be transparent with the information provided to the people so the censorship or freedom violations can be justified (Funk & Linzer, 2020). Explanation of quote selection and connection: The quote from the reading expresses the direct relation between the moments of crisis like public health with the restriction of some liberty to support the authorities while they are trying to control and contain the pandemic crisis. Entry #3 Source: Kristof, N. D. (2002, September 10). Security and freedom. New York Times. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A91792952/AONE?u=umd_umuc&sid=AONE&xid=c33c27b9 Quote: “Imprisoning a Yemeni because he is a Yemeni will not destroy our freedoms. But it undermines our ability to project our values abroad. The U.S. system of justice has been a model abroad, but how can we tell Uzbekistan (where Muslim extremists threaten not just terrorism but also revolution) to honor human rights and the rule of law when we cut corners ourselves?” (Kristof, 2002, para. 9). Paraphrase: The detention of a person due to their ethnicity will not result in the loss of our liberties. However, it jeopardizes our capacity to portray our ideals internationally. The American legal system has long been admired across the world, but if we don’t respect human rights, we can’t expect countries where terrorism and revolution are both threats posed by Muslim radicals to do it (Kristof, 2002). Explanation of quote selection and connection: Law enforcement agencies detaining people due to their skin color, sex, or ethnicity using the excuse of national security and without having any evidence of criminal activities are a direct violating of amendment rights. After 9/11, everyone felt insecure and on alert mode cause by the uncertainty of any more attacks, but the balance between freedom and security need to prevail. Entry #4 Source: Haynes, D. D. (2015, May 14). Liberty vs. Security: An old debate renewed in the age of terror. Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel. http://archive.jsonline.com/news/opinion/liberty-vs-security-an-old-debate-renewed-in-the-age-of-terror-b99500066z1-303775951.html/ Quote: “In a world threatened by terrorist groups such as