Live and Let Live

On the morning of September 11, 2001 people around the world turned on their televisions and became witnesses the most devastating terrorist act ever carried out on U.S. soil. Much time has passed since then and the United States has changed in the succeeding years. Billions more than before, are now going into defense funds. American citizens have lost many conveniences as well as bits and pieces of privacy. Many American’s have even added many words to their vocabulary. Words like Al-Queda and Anthrax are thrown around in everyday conversation. To most these things are understandable, they were changes necessary to insure Americans safety.

The problem however, is that terrorism doesn’t just happen in our country. It happens in every country and every nation of the world. Following September 11, the U.S. Congress passed what is known as The USA Patriot Act. The role of the Patriot Act is to “deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and around the world, to enhance law enforcement investigatory tools, and for other purposes”(Trandahl). In passing this act the United States has taken on the role of the worlds police force.

The United States of America; who are we to declare such a thing. The U.S. should not take on the world’s problems. Interfering will just put us in the middle of those problems. Sure the U.S. may be the only remaining super power but we are not perfect by any means. In that America has many, many flaws itself it should not wield such power. Power like that would only corrupt this country further.

Conflicts that occur outside of this nation are none of our business. We did not insinuate, provoke or in any way create these problems and therefore we should not take on the responsibility of stopping them. Even if it were our responsibility what could we do which others before hadn’t already tried? It’s amazing how the U.S. calls itself helping people when in actuality they just go and kill people. The last time I checked the law we were past the days of Hammurabi’s Code. The U.S. needs not to meddle in the affairs of other nations.

At this very moment U.S. troops are out on deployment in hundreds of nations across the globe fighting to bring peace and stop inhumane acts. On the surface level this may seem fine but in reality it’s not. In most of these countries our assistance is not wanted. Yet year after year we continue to send men and women in the line of fire. Putting U.S. troops in hostile, anti-American regions in which they become target practice for any half-baked terrorist out there.

The Patriot Act also set aside billions upon billions of dollars into the defense budget. This money is all coming from us the taxpayers. It makes no sense to spend all that money on fighting wars that are not our own. There are many horrible things that go on everyday in this world. No one nation is responsible for correcting the wrongs of the planet. By sending in our people to try and fix things we only make problems worse.

This country is in debt itself yet; in the midst of all this terrorism talk people seem to have forgotten this fact. There are so many other beneficial things, which that money could be used for. As a nation we are in debt trillions of dollars why not put money towards repaying that? Millions of people here are on welfare. Many are un-employed, homeless and have no health care. Why not fix the problems that are here in our home soil? After all to help others you must first help yourself.

Borders were created for a reason. Much like the walls of your home; to keep the unwanted out. For example if you were to have a fight with your spouse, would you want someone just barging in with force breaking you two up? This is the same thing that happens when we try to police the world.