With the enormous exception of September 11, 2001, most planned attacks on civilians in the United States since 1990 were carried out by Americans themselves. These included arson, armed assaults and bombings of churches and other houses of worship, assassinations of doctors who perform abortions as well as bombings of abortion clinics, and protests against federal authority in Waco and Oklahoma City, resulting in massive injuries and deaths. Political conservatives are often eager to point out that domestic terrorism in the U.S. includes destruction of private property by extreme environmental groups to protest severe ecological degradation--ecoterrorism. Political liberals, meanwhile, tend to view skinheads, survivalist groups and militias with suspicion, linking them to other forms of domestic terrorism.

Based on your reading and your own experiences, which is the greater threat to American society today: international or domestic terrorism?

The U.S. Congress overwhelming passed the USA Patriot Act of 2001 into law, but it immediately drew fire from both domestic and international critics who see it as a victory for those who seek to undermine American civil liberties. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft defended the Patriot Act, but organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) pointed out that the government's response threatens rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, such as freedom of speech. Political conservatives also criticize the Patriot Act for disregarding vital liberties and consolidating too much power at the federal rather than the state or local level.

The Christian Science Monitor provides a history of civil liberty losses in the U.S. during times of war. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security has restructured federal law enforcement and immigration services. Although the Domestic Security Enhancement Act, also known as Patriot Act II, has yet to be introduced to Congress, it too includes provisions that are problematic for civil libertarians.

Using evidence rather than emotion, please explain whether the United States should maintain, revise or reject provisions of the Patriot Act that are due to expire in 2005?

Since the anthrax scare of late 2001, the use of biological agents as a weapon of individual or mass destruction has many Americans worried. In a critical situation, the balance between public health and civil liberties would be tested. The Mayo Clinic provides a list of biological and chemical weapons as well as possible responses to them. The British science magazine New Scientist has a special report on bioterrorism and bioweapons.

What plans have been or are being made in your local community to respond in the event of a bioterrorist attack?