Why Is Increased Government Surveillance Important

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The attack on 9/11 was a nationwide shock. Targeting even the heart of the nation’s defense system, the Pentagon, this attack threw Americans into a panic as ordinary citizens shared what they thought were their last moments while the government threw itself into a frenzy for fear of subsequent attacks. This terrorist move showed that our nation, though heavily defended externally, was fragile from the inside. “The attacks shattered America’s sense of invulnerability” (Document 1). After recovering, Americans instantly vied for increased government surveillance that was necessary in order to prevent future national disasters like this. Government surveillance continues to be essential in keeping our country safe. Both “lone wolf” terrorist attacks, unorganized attacks carried out by radicalized U.S citizens, and organized terrorist attacks can be stopped by increased government surveillance. Furthermore, increased government surveillance can prevent an attack from happening in the first place by monitoring citizens who watch terrorist propaganda, and getting them mental help before they become fully radicalized. Because it can stop terrorist attacks and can even root these attacks out from the source, increased government surveillance is necessary to the defense of the people.…show more content…
For example, airport security lines are what stop people from sneaking weapons on board an airplane. As cumbersome as standing in a security checkpoint may be, it is an extremely important protection. Government surveillance of business deals can also be a key to figuring out who is performing illegal terrorist activity. For example, if the government was able to routinely survey the purchasing habits of citizens, and then noticed that one of them “bought the materials to make a bomb” (Document 2), the government could either search the suspect or send a drone to spy on them, protecting citizens from a

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