Reference no: EM132556323
Today, the most pressing issue regarding homeland security is the safeguard of civil rights and civil liberties. In recent weeks, there have been protests around the country over the topics of racial injustice and police brutality. These protests have in various cases degenerated into violence, looting, and rioting, and there have been people (both law enforcement officers and citizens) who have been killed. These are situations in which extremists and terrorists can leverage to their advantage and further undermine civil rights and liberties across the country (McEntire, 2015). The situation is further aggravated by calls to defund or even disband police departments entirely. This unraveling situation poses a challenge for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which must ensure that any and all activities it undertakes to keep the peace conform to respect for the civil rights and liberties of civilians (Nemeth, 2016). Solving the issue will require rigorous training, diligent enforcement of the law, and community outreach to improve relations with law enforcement.
The course has underlined how important homeland security is to all aspects of people's lives. Homeland security is inherent to the exercise of civil rights and liberties, just as much as it is important to protecting critical infrastructure (e.g. energy, healthcare, and financial services). Modern society would seize to function and probably exist if not for homeland security, which is why it is so important: "For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock" (Psalms 27:5). This realization was without a doubt an "aha" moment, because homeland security had in the past I believed it was solely involved with terrorism and illegal immigration. Today it is plain to see that homeland security touches on any and all threats that may disrupt the safety and security of the United States.
References
McEntire, D. A. (2015). Disaster response and recovery: strategies and tactics for resilience. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Nemeth, C. P. (2016). Homeland security: An introduction to principles and practices (3rd ed.). Boca Raton, FL: Taylor & Francis.