Artifact 1 Historical Development, Discussion Board Question, Week 1, Homeland Security, SMGT 321

What is your position on the PATRIOT Act and Homeland Security Act of 2002? Do you fully support them or just partially; or do you totally disagree with them? Comprehensively explain your positions and reasoning. Address each act in separate paragraphs. I raised my right hand 22 years ago to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I have had the unfortunate responsibility of providing security during recovery efforts; more specifically, picking up bodies and body parts of Americans and U.S. Service men and women in Saudi Arabia (Khobar Towers), Tanzania (American Embassy) and Yemen (USS Cole). Those experiences along with the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center have made me a full supporter of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (U.S.A. PATRIOT ACT). I do not feel as though the government is threatening my freedom as an American citizen. The ACT is trying to provide the citizens of the Unites States with an extra layer of protection while assisting our federal and state law enforcement officials with catching terrorists before they are able to significantly disrupt our way of life again with a major terrorist attack. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 signed by President Bush on 25 November 2002 was initiated to establish the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It is my opinion that this was an excellent decision by our government. The ACT integrated independent agencies into five directorates to make up DHS; Border and Transportation Security, Emergency Preparedness, Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection, Response and Management, and Science and Technology. From my experience, most law enforcement agencies were very territorial and egotistical when it came to sharing information. Now that the agencies are integrated, the undersecretaries and directors report to the DHS secretary mandating the distribution of information. I like that the ACT establishes DHS as an executive branch agency with the DHS secretary reporting directly to the President (Bullock et al., 2005, p. 38). The mission of DHS is clearly defined in Title I and the President now can hold one individual overall responsible for the agencys failures and success.

Reference: Haddow, G.D., Bullock, J.A., Coppola, D.P., Yeletaysi, S., (2005). Introduction to Homeland Security (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann.