Bell Ringer Name as many things as you can think of that DO NOT make you "Proud to be an American". Think about decisions our country has made in history and in current laws. Include foreign policy, national decisions and local government. Use things that directly impact you or your family. For each one, describe WHY you feel that way.

December 7, 1941 September 11, 2001

Patriot Act Full title: Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 The Patriot Act basically extends the government's foreign intelligence surveillance powers over potential "domestic" terrorists, including American citizens. 

Patriot Act Opinions

Patriot Act Federal agents may conduct surveillance and searches against U.S. citizens without "probable cause" to suspect criminal activity. The targeted person is not notified and cannot challenge the action. Agents can conduct "sneak-and-peek" searches without prior notice in common domestic crime investigations. Before the Patriot Act, courts required law enforcement to "knock and announce" themselves before conducting searches. Government agents now have access to any person's business or personal records. These include library records, book-buying habits, medical, marital counseling or psychiatric files, business records, Internet habits, and credit reports. The government no longer has to give notice, obtain a warrant or a subpoena, or show probable cause that a crime has been committed. Persons turning over personal data to the government (such as librarians, co-workers or neighbors) are prohibited, under threat of federal criminal prosecution, from telling anyone they did so.

Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp

Facts Established in 2002 Bush Administration In wake of 9/11 Previously a USA naval base on leased land from Cuba Used to hold detainees believed to be connected with the War in Afghanistan/War in Iraq Divided into three camps: Delta (& Justice), Iguana, X-Ray First 20 captives arrived January 11, 2002

The Facts Because Guantanamo Bay is considered outside US jurisdiction, they were not allowed any of the protections of the U.S. Constitution or the Geneva Conventions. Geneva Conventions: protections of wartime victims and prisoners agreed on after WWII aiming to eliminate the torture and unfair practices they just saw by Nazis. Held without access to lawyers or U.S. courts and tried by military tribunals rather than a court of law (violating due process and writ of habeas corpus – not US soil) 2004: Rasul v. Bush – non U.S. citizens can exercise right of habeas corpus by application at Guantanamo

More facts 2004: Hamdi v. Rumsfeld – detainees who are U.S. citizens must have ability to challenge their “enemy combatant” status before an impartial judge 2006: Hamdan v. Rumsfeld – detainees are entitled to minimal protections by Geneva Conventions 2008: Boumediene v. Bush – all suspects have constitutional rights to challenge their detention in United States courts 2008: Barack Obama promises to close Guantanamo Bay if elected 2009: Obama signs an executive order to close Guantanamo Bay but is blocked by Congress 171 detainees still there today

Christopher Arendt, ex-Guantanamo guard Joined United States Army National Guard at age 17 in 2001 Claims to have joined because his family was displaced, he was living with friends, he was poor and he had “no other options”. Got orders in October of 2003, at age 19, that he would be deploying to Guantanamo Bay. After taking care of prisoners there, he is now speaking out in public hearings and testimonies to what he did there against human rights.

Christopher Arendt, ex-Guantanamo guard

Moazzam Begg, ex-Guantanamo detainee A British Pakistani Muslim, held in Guantanamo for almost three years Claims from US government: an enemy combatant and al- Qaeda member, recruited others for al-Qaeda, provided money and support to al-Qaeda training camps, received extensive military training in al-Qaeda-run terrorist training camps in Afghanistan, and prepared to fight U.S. or allied troops. Defense by Begg: Admitted to spending time at two Islamic militant training camps in Afghanistan, supporting militant Muslim fighters, buying a rifle and a handgun, “thought about” taking up arms in Chechnya, and being an acquaintance to others linked to terrorism.

Moazzam Begg, ex-Guantanamo detainee

War in Afghanistan/Iraq Middle Eastern Americans Guantanamo Bay December 7, 1941 September 11, 2001 Pearl Harbor World War II Japanese Americans Internment Camps 120,000 people World Trade Center War in Afghanistan/Iraq Middle Eastern Americans Guantanamo Bay 779 people “THOSE WHO CANNOT REMEMBER THE PAST ARE CONDEMNED TO REPEAT IT” – George Santayana