Anna ODriscoll

Period 1
Liberty vs Security Essay
In recent years, there has been a large increase in security measures due to events such as the
September 11
th
2001 attacks, the 1999 Columbine school shooting, and the recent 2012
Newtown school shooting. As a result of these events, there has been increased debate about gun
control, and security in airports. The public has also recently become aware of government
surveillance and wire-tapping of citizens to prevent further terrorist attacks. The increase in
security and surveillance has raised the question of whether the government is imposing too
many security measures, and therefore is taking away some of the citizens rights, or if the
government is doing what is necessary to ensure the safety of its citizens. To ensure the correct
balance between civil liberties and security, the government needs to increase the background
checks necessary to purchase a gun; reform the airport security system; and make government
surveillance more transparent to the public.
To make sure that all citizens can retain their second amendment right to gun ownership
despite security measures to the address problem of gun violence, the government should require
stricter background checks before a person can buy a gun. Gun violence has become a big issue
in the past few decades, and has killed more than 400,000 Americans since 1968 (An Updated
Background Check System Will Help Prevent Gun Violence). There is already a background
check system in place, started in 1963, but it includes lots of loopholes, and the shooters in three
recent deadly shootings were able to circumvent these laws. Since there are so many deaths and
so much violence brought about by guns, there needs to be more security surrounding gun
ownership. However, since it is against the second amendment to take away the right to own a
gun, the solution should be stricter background checks. This would add more security while not
taking away the liberty to own a gun. It is important that people who could be potentially
Anna ODriscoll
Period 1
dangerous in possession of a gun should not be able to have one. According to the article An
Updated Background Check System Will Help Prevent Gun Violence, there are two steps that
would help to reform the background check system. The first step would be to to get all the
names of people who shouldnt be using guns into the National Instant Criminal Background
Check System (NICS). The second step would be to require a background check for every gun
sale to close loopholes in the system. A stricter background check system would allow most
Americans to own a gun, while providing greater assurance to the public that dangerous gun
owners would be denied that right.
The federal government needs to reform some parts of the airport security system so that all
possible rights can be preserved for citizens while still ensuring national security. After a wave
of attacks in the 1960s, President Richard Nixon outlined a security plan that required airlines to
screen all passengers and their baggage prior to boarding (Gale Cengage Airport Security).
Some of the components of this plan included scanning all passengers with metal detectors to
stop attackers from carrying concealed weapons onto a plane, and searching or screening
baggage using x-ray scanners. After the September 11 attacks, there was a large increase in
security measures. Most citizens felt that these steps were necessary to ensure passenger safety.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was created to replace private contractors.
Along with the powers previously given to the private contractors, TSA officers [were]
empowered to perform pat-down screenings and baggage searches for any passenger that they
feel requires additional screening (Gale Cengage Airport Security). Airlines still had to check
passenger information against a government-issued watch list. The 2009 Christmas Day bombing
attempt led to even more security measures, which prompted an outcry from citizens who felt
their rights were being violated. The new security included the TSA doing full-body scans of
Anna ODriscoll
Period 1
passengers and enhanced pat-downs that involved screeners potentially touching parts of the
passengers body such as the breasts and genitals (Gale Cengage: Airport Security). The TSA
should be able to perform these procedures to make sure that another terrorist attack does not
occur. Some reform, however, is necessary to better balance civil liberties and security
measures. One area for reform is racial profiling. Minorities and Muslims are more likely to be
pulled over for additional screening because of stereotypes. To help end the racial profiling,
screening and pat-downs should be randomized. The TSA should be able to pat people down,
but the procedure should be changed so that they can only call someone over if something is seen
in the full body scan. A pat down requires citizens to surrender some freedoms, but that is a
small price to pay for making sure that a plane is not used again as a terrorist weapon.
To preserve civil liberties while maintaining an adequate level of security, the federal
government needs to make the actions of the National Security Agency (NSA) more transparent
to the public. Until recently, the public was not aware that the government was wiretapping
citizens and international leaders, as well as collecting metadata on phone calls. Many view this
data collection as a violation of their civil liberties, and believe the government has gone too far.
Some of the intelligence gathering is monitored through the FISA Court, created by the Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). In 2008, Congress relaxed some of the restrictions placed
on the NSA by FISA, and allowed the agency to monitor domestic communications without a
warrant as long as one party is reasonably believed to be outside the United States (National
Security Agency: NSA). This means that the NSA can monitor some people without a court
warrant. To make sure that the NSA isnt infringing on the rights of citizens, but is still
monitoring potential terrorists, the NSA should create an entity that monitors the FISA court, and
makes sure the court isnt overstepping its authority. The data that the NSA does collect about
Anna ODriscoll
Period 1
American citizens is essential, as there are terrorists who are American citizens, and live inside
the United States. These people might not be communicating with people outside the country,
but they still pose a threat to national security.
Overall, the United States government needs to make some adjustments to its security
programs so that citizens can maintain as many of their rights as possible without weakening
national security. Stricter background checks are necessary for gun purchases so that potentially
dangerous people cannot easily obtain a weapon. The airport security system needs to be
reformed to reduce racial and ethnic profiling that unfairly violates the rights of some citizens.
Finally, the government needs to create an entity that monitors the FISA court so that the public
can be more aware of the NSAs actions. These three measures would create a better balance
between civil liberties and security.









Anna ODriscoll
Period 1
Bibliography
"Airport Security." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2013. Opposing
Viewpoints in Context. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.
Fulwood III, Sam. "Profiling Is Not an Effective Security Strategy." US Airport Security. Ed.
Margaret Haerens and Lynn M. Zott. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing
Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Race and Beyond: Scanning for Terrorists Fairly and
Effectively." www.americanprogress.org. 2010. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 2
Mar. 2014.
Handley, John. "PRISM AND BOUNDLESS INFORMANT: IS NSA SURVEILLANCE A
THREAT?" American Diplomacy (2013). Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 2 Mar.
2014.
"National Security Agency (NSA)." Britannica School. Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc., 2014.
Web. 2 Mar. 2014. < <http://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/55012>.
"An Updated Background Check System Will Help Prevent Gun Violence." Guns and Crime.
Ed. Christine Watkins. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. At Issue. Rpt. from "A Plan to
Prevent Future Tragedies." MayorsAgainstIllegalGuns.org. 2011. Opposing Viewpoints
in Context. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.





Anna ODriscoll
Period 1
Works Cited
"Airport Security." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2013. Opposing
Viewpoints in Context. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.
"National Security Agency (NSA)." Britannica School. Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc., 2014.
Web. 2 Mar. 2014. < <http://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/55012>.
"An Updated Background Check System Will Help Prevent Gun Violence." Guns and Crime.
Ed. Christine Watkins. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. At Issue. Rpt. from "A Plan to
Prevent Future Tragedies." MayorsAgainstIllegalGuns.org. 2011. Opposing Viewpoints
in Context. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.











Anna ODriscoll
Period 1
Web Site Evaluation Form

1. URL of the Website:
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?failOverType
=&query=&prodId=OVIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGrou
pName=Viewpoints&dviSelectedPage=&limiter=&u=mcps_blair&currPage=&disableHighlighti
ng=&displayGroups=&sortBy=&source=&zid=&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&action=e&
catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010015251
2. Website Title: Opposing Viewpoints in Context
3. What organization and/or individual created this website? Gale Cengage
4. Can you rely on this information? Yes No Why or why not?
It is a trusted school database
6. Is the material: ___Primary/Original ___Secondary/Derived?
7. When was this page written or last updated? 2012
8. Rate this web page.
use with caution good, basic information excellent for the assignment
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1. URL of the Website: http://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/55012
2. Website Title: Britannica School
3. What organization and/or individual created this website?
Encyclopedia Britannica
4. Can you rely on this information? Yes No Why or why not?
It is a trusted and well-known online encyclopedia
6. Is the material: ___Primary/Original ___Secondary/Derived?
9. When was this page written or last updated? Unknown
10. Please rate this web page.
use with caution good, basic information excellent for the assignment
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1. URL of the Website:
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?failOverType=&query=&prodId=OVIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view
&displayGroupName=Journals&limiter=&u=mcps_blair&currPage=&disableHighlighting=false
&displayGroups=&sortBy=&source=&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&action=e&catId=&act
ivityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CA338525161
2. Website Title: Opposing Viewpoints in Context
3. What organization and/or individual created this website? Gale Cengage
4. Can you rely on this information? Yes No Why or why not?
It is an online database trusted by the school
6. Is the material: ___Primary/Original ___Secondary/Derived?
9. When was this page written or last updated? July 17, 2013
10. Please rate this web page.
use with caution good, basic information excellent for the assignment


Anna ODriscoll
Period 1
1. URL of the Website:
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2. Website Title: Opposing Viewpoints in Context
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It is a trusted and well known database
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7. When was this page written or last updated? Unknown
8. Rate this web page.
use with caution good, basic information excellent for the assignment
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1. URL of the Website:
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2. Website Title: Opposing Viewpoints in Context
3. What organization and/or individual created this website?Gale Cengage
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It is a trusted and well known database
6. Is the material: ___Primary/Original ___Secondary/Derived?
9. When was this page written or last updated? Unknown
10. Please rate this web page.
use with caution good, basic information excellent for the assignment