As sentiments from international organizations are added to the exponentially growing scrutiny regarding the United States' anti-terror policies, we have to ask ourselves, "has the United States sacrificed human rights in the name of national security?"

The claims by groups such as Amnesty International concerning corrupt U.S. government, unfair jailing and cruelty toward prisoners have been met with a good deal of sympathy and agreement from other human-rights organizations.

Around the world, the air of resentment toward the United States and its defensive actions has become so common that it is bound to spawn anger and suspicion and is worth questioning.

Actions taken in the interest of national security might protect the nation, but at the same time they could be laying the groundwork for bitterness and retaliation by terrorist groups.

This is not to say that the United States is inviting terrorism by its means of protection, but it isn't helping international relations by employing legislation such as the USA Patriot Act, which basically eliminates the system which gives courts the ability to ensure that international law enforcement powers are not abused.

Laws such as the Patriot Act are a slap in the face of the founding fathers of the Constitution when they are used as an excuse to generate injury or injustice on others in the supposed name of security.

Toughening immigration laws on innocent people, deporting individuals for non-terrorist actions and illicitly injuring prisoners under the guises of national security could lead one to believe that protection is shadowing the importance of liberty as written in the Bill of Rights.

Is this still the land of the free? The eyes of the world are upon our nation now. The American government needs to consider exactly what message they are trying to send as representatives of its population to ensure that the global eyes don't begin to leer even harder.