Shortly after the events of 9/11, the Bush administration announced a “War on Terrorism”, and within weeks, Americans saw many of their constitutional guarantees of freedom stripped away by the Patriot Act and Military Commissions Act with their plethora of legislative changes which significantly increased the surveillance and investigative powers of law enforcement agencies in the United States. These Acts did not, however, provide for the system of checks and balances that traditionally safeguards civil liberties in the face of … Continue reading →