Terrorist attacks in America should not reduce or eliminate civil liberties because they needlessly increase government power, provide a false state of security, and run counter to concepts of liberty on which the United States was founded. . In order to understand why these three things are important, we need to determine what civil liberties are. According to Wikipedia, “civil liberties are rights and freedoms that protect an individual against the state” (Wikipedia, 2010). Why would we need state protection? The goal of civil liberties is to “set limits on government so that its agents cannot abuse their power and unduly interfere in the lives of citizens” (Wikipedia, 2010). Civil liberties are protected by the Bill of Rights. The Declaration of Independence makes a strong statement on human rights: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty and liberty. quest for happiness. » With so much material on freedom and rights, it is hard to imagine these rights being trampled upon or taken away by the government that is supposed to protect these rights. In September 2001, the United States was prey to terrorist attacks that resulted in loss of property, loss of life, and the loss or curtailment of what many consider to be fundamental rights and freedoms. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), following the September 11 terrorist attacks, the Bush administration launched a serious attack on civil liberties. The ACLU says the government has abused its power through "warrantless wiretapping, torture, kidnapping and detention, the growing surveillance society, abuse... middle of paper ... .ncesWikipedia. (July 23, 2010). Civil Liberties. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_libertiesWikipedia. (July 26, 2010). Terrorism. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TerrorismBovard, James. (June 4, 2010). The folly of blindly trusting the government. Retrieved from http://www.fff.org/freedom/fd1003c.aspAmerican Civil Liberties Union. (2006, September 6). The ten main abuses of power since September 11. Retrieved from www.aclu.org/keep-america-safe-free/top-ten-abuses-power-911Greenwald, Glen. (May 13, 2010). New target for the erosion of rights: American citizens. Retrieved from http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/05/13/citizens Marshall, Thurgood. (1990, March). The Supreme Court and civil rights: has the tide turned? Reprinted with permission from USA Today, March 1990. From the book Civil Liberties: Contrasting Views. (p. 208)