The Effects of Patriot Act on the Aftermath of the 9/11

The terrorist attacks on 9/11 did not just affect victims and their families, but it also affected the nation—as a whole—there were many events that happened on this terrifying day. There were also many events that happened after the attacks that affected our country. The accumulation of terror attacks on this day affected the economy, the trust between people, and the laws of the country. This essay will show you how the terrorist attacks of 9/11 affected the country including the economy, the trust of people, and the laws of our country.

The attacks of 9/11 had immediate and long-term impacts on the economy, some of these impacts still continue to this day. “A 2011 report from The New York Times put the total cost for the U.S. at 3.3 trillion dollars” (Amadeo, Kimberly. “How the 9/11 Attacks Still Damage the Economy Today.”) The attacks deepened the 2001 recession by causing the Dow to drop around 700 points. They also led to the war on terror which is one of the most prominent causes of government funding in history, and the funding was estimated at around 1.649 billion dollars, while the future war and veterans care were said to cost 867 billion dollars. The toll on physical damage was estimated to be about 55 billion dollars, this cost was from the damage done in New York City from the buildings collapsing, and the clean up of the debris. The economic costs were estimated to be 123 billion dollars and this included the trade centers information that they had lost in the fires and from the buildings collapsing. Homeland security was then put in place costing around 589 billion dollars within the first few years.

The trust between Americans and Muslims became more separated during this time because many believed that all Muslims were behind the attacks and were spies. Many Muslims were deported back to their home countries because of their trust. Six months after the attacks there were around 2,650 attacks on Muslim Americans. One significant role in molding opinions of the population about Muslims was the media. As a matter of fact, Muslims in the West place blamed the media for their poor portrayal which resulted in backlash for Muslims. Studies have found that watching a small portion of media that negatively portray Muslims can lead to prejudice. Some news stories portrayed Islam by associating it with the oppression of women and honor killings. “One psychologist described the media’s portrayal of Muslims as ‘dehumanizing.’”(“American Fear of Muslims.”)

Finally, the attacks on 9-11-2001 affected the law-making in our country and created changes to our rights as civilians. The terrorist attacks that destroyed America’s security and invincibility; the government under George W. Bush launched the Global War on terrorism, which has become the longest period of continuous war in U.S. history. This also enacted a series of laws and executive orders that have affected our everyday lives. Although these steps were taken to prevent future attacks on U.S. soil and restore a feeling of safety that was shattered, they also put restraints on freedom for civilians. The USA-Patriot Act, Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism, was one outcome of the attacks. The Patriot Act outlines that law enforcement is allowed to do sweep searches and surveillance and to eliminate checks and balances that previously gave courts the opportunity to ensure that those powers were not abused. To summarize, the patriot act puts restraints on the fourth amendment, The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. It does so because with the patriot act it gives law enforcement the right to searches and seizures without a search warrant or arrest warrant.

In conclusion, the terrorist attacks on 9/11 did not just affect victims and their families, but it also affected the nation—as a whole—there were many events that happened on this terrifying day. There were also many events that happened after the attacks that affected our country. The accumulation of terror attacks on this day affected the economy, the trust between people, and the laws of the country. This essay will show you how the terrorist attacks of 9/11 affected the country including the economy, the trust of people, and the laws of our country.