English III
Name ____________________________________
6 February 2013
The Patriot Act: Argumentative Essay
The Crucible
Your Safety and Security or Your Civil Liberties - Which is More Important?
Prior to the presentations on The Patriot Act, you were asked to determine if you agreed or disagreed with
the following statements? Why or why not?
Guiding Questions
• Sometimes personal rights must be given up in order to protect people from those who could be a danger to
all of us.
• It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to fighting terrorism.
• The government should have the right to investigate to the fullest extent any suspicious person and their
activities.
• Civil Liberties have been granted in the Constitution’s Bill of Rights and should be preserved, no matter
what.
Essay Assignment
Before you begin writing this essay, write your original answers and then determine if any of your answers
have changed after hearing your classmate’s presentations. Determine what your stance is on the issue of civil
liberties. What is more important to you - your civil liberties or your personal safety? Is it possible to have
both? Why or why not? Write a 300-word reflection discussing this issue.
I will not be grading you on your opinion, but on the thoroughness in which you support your opinion. To
do this, you must use examples from the play or from the presentations. Be sure to cite your sources with
page numbers or article titles.
This assignment is due 8 Friday 2013 at 11:59 pm. This must be turned it to turnitin.com. Please
type this using Times New Roman, 12 point font double spaced. You should have an appropriate
heading, title, and works cited.