A little after a year and a half since the Sept. 11, students gathered in the Art and Journalism building to hear a guest speaker talk about how the face of freedom has been changed in the United States.
"Any person could be locked up indefinitely under the Patriot Act," Roger Newman, a research scholar at New York University School of Law, said.
Newman was invited by the College of Communication, Information and Media and has toured all over the country informing the public about his views of the Patriot Act, which was passed in October 2001, and the Homeland Security Act of 2002. He is also the author of various books including his biography on U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, which was recognized as a Pulitzer Prize finalist.
Newman briefly explained the many different issues of the170-page document that he says infringes upon the rights of Americans.
"For all instances, the government can now set up a wire tap at will," Newman said. "Law enforcement can now investigate without probable cause for all 'intelligent purposes."
Newman said the attack on Sept. 11 had rushed the government into enforcing the act and it was passed with haste after a mere one month following the incident.
The idea of monitoring people in the public and private sectors was also an issue of concern that Newman brought up under the Homeland Security Act.
"The government can now trace information without court orders," Newman said. He gave examples of how intrusion could be possible through e-mails, bank statements, phone conversations, travel information, health documents and housing records.
Newman said by the end of this year, Delta Airlines will have a monitoring system in three unknown airports across the country which will enable them to determine if a person should be able to get on the plane based on their background information. The system is known as Computer Assisted Passenger Public and Private System, or CAPS2.
Newman said that airports are just the beginning of possible uses of the background checks.
"I think we need that (the acts) when something as monumental as Sept. 11 happens," junior Klark Ammerman said. "I think he took the negative views on it, but it does have its positives too."
Newman also said the FBI now has the right to affirm what is circulated in the American libraries, including Ball State's. He said research material that could be used to make biological weapons has been, and is being, removed off the shelves which results in robbing people of knowledge in the field of science.
"The United States and Great Britain have already cut out information from 30 of their leading scientific journals," Newman said.
He also said Internet usage could be monitored in the library and make it illegal for librarians to inform users that their information is being documented.
Students left the speaker with mixed reactions.
"He informed a lot of people about it," junior Joel Wiseman said. "It takes away a lot of the freedoms we have."
Wiseman also said how politicians who refused to sign it were most likely labeled as being unpatriotic.
"I'm in favor of it, as long as it protects us from terrorist acts," junior Michael Gant said.
Gant said it takes away the rights of the suspects.
Newman advised students to log onto the American Civil Liberties Union Web site to learn more about the issues.
"Defeating terrorists can be taken without taking away our rights," Newman said.
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