Which is better - the whole or the individual? The country or the citizen? Obviously, the whole matters more than the welfare of the individual. For the betterment of society as a whole, the citizens of this country must make some sacrifices in their personal rights. The USA Patriot Act, instituted by President George W. Bush in 2001, should be utilized for public means and made stronger with different clauses, all at the tiny expense of the right to privacy.
    “Privacy” is the right to keep certain aspects of one’s life discreet. People often go to great lengths to protect this “privacy” idea, but the idea can go too far -  so far that it can obstruct justice. The people’s defense of this right is what causes problems all over the place, even in seeking out killers in court cases. This right was "trespassed" upon by President Bush during the first years of his presidency. In 2001, in response to the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Twin Towers, Bush put forward the USA Patriot Act (an acronym which stands for “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001”). 
    The act stated that government would have the minor right to secretly observe its citizens and basically increase the power of government to allow its officers to keep tabs on people and stop terrorism. If this act were to be strengthened (meaning more strictly enforced) and used more broadly, more accurate evidence could be provided in court cases. This would not only decrease the number of innocent people going to jail, it would also help in catching killers more quickly. 
    Take, for example, the suspected killer found last week, Anthony Sowell. This man killed at least eleven people, and their bodies were found in his own home and backyard . Since he lived near a meat factory, he blamed the stench from the bodies on the meat factory. How do serial killers like Sowell get away with it? By being discreet about it. “Privacy” is the right to keep certain information secret. See any similarities? If the US government had fully used the Patriot Act, or increased its power, the serial killer would have been caught sooner, the reasons for his discretion exposed. 
    Even if this is a freak-once-in-a-lifetime case, the implication that a man can get away with killing people in his own house is deeply unsettling. If people can do such awful crimes in this country, then what does this law, or rather, what do this country’s laws stand for? 
    Do the laws of the U.S. really protect its people to the best of its ability? Court cases and unsolved murder mysteries would be solved much more quickly if the USA Patriot Act were to be strengthened and more broadly and strictly enforced. If the act encompasses uncovering not only potential terrorists but also murderers and killers, crimes would be solved much more quickly in today’s justice system. 
    People should give up at least part of their ‘privacy’ for the greater good – keeping America and its people safe. A safe America would be much better than having an ‘all rights for the people at the expense of the nation: America.