The Homeland Security Act was a direct response by the President and Congress to the September 11, 2001 terrorist acts and the mailing of anthrax spores that same year.

The Homeland Security Act was designed to meet the following goals.

1. Establish the Department of Homeland Security – The Homeland Security Act established this new cabinet department of the federal government. The department is responsible for protecting the territories of the United States from terrorist attacks, man made accidents, and natural disasters. The Secretary of Homeland Security, a position created by the Homeland Security Act, heads the department.
2. To be an agency that fulfilled a previously unaddressed role – The Department of Homeland Security, under the Homeland Security Act, is designed to prevent terrorist acts. The responsibility for prosecuting terrorists, for example, remains with the FBI.
3. To make the country better prepared for disaster – Another of the goals of the Homeland Security Act is to improve the nation’s preparedness for natural disasters and terrorism, including the government’s response to these situations.
4. To secure the borders – While not replacing traditional border patrols, the Department of Homeland Security is responsible for securing the nation’s borders, waterways and ports from terrorists.
5. Securing transportation – The Department of Homeland Security also has responsibility for protecting the country’s air, land and sea transportation systems. This directive of the Homeland Security Act was responsible for the creation of Federal Air Marshal jobs on US commercial flights.
6. Protecting Information Security –The department is also responsible for protecting the sensitive information of the US government from terrorists. This applies to the security of computer systems, as well as the information that might be contained on those systems, as well as government information not housed on computer systems.

In 2003, the Department of Homeland Security absorbed the Immigration and Naturalization Service and its directives. Under the Department of Homeland Security, the INS was divided into two divisions: Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Citizenship and Immigration Services. In addition, the following other departments currently fall under the purvey of the Department of Homeland Security:

• Coast Guard
• US Customs and Border Protection
• Transportation Security Administration
• United States Secret Service
• Federal Emergency Management Agency

Today, the Department of Homeland Security is the government’s third largest cabinet, with more than 200,000 employees and a 2011 budget of $98.8 billion. Its scope and responsibilities have changed to reflect the country’s needs and changes in national security. As the responsibilities of the organization have matured, they have taken on greater influence. But, the chief goal of the Department of Homeland Security and the Homeland Security Act continues to be preventing terrorist attacks and protecting the nation from internal and external forces that desire to bring harm to the nation’s citizens.

Phyllis T. Zerkle enjoys blogging in order to help students find the information they need about online homeland security degrees.

Ironically, with all the driving we’ve done over the years and especially this past week, it’s here at home that hubby gets pulled over by the police. Ostensibly for not wearing a seatbelt, which is true – he just refuses to wear a seatbelt over any and all protests by me. But it’s the law here and they changed the enforcement provisions of the state law so that you can be stopped just for not wearing a seat belt. Up until they changed it, the seatbelt violation could only be a secondary reason to get a ticket.

So, the cop wants to see his driver’s license (no problem), the registration (no problem although the tags expire the end of this month and we need to get the emissions inspection done this week to renew the tags) and proof of insurance. Oops. Where is the insurance card? The one in the car expired last month and we haven’t received the new one in the mail yet. That’s a problem, since the cop wants to see the current card or hubby gets a ticket. Oh well. At least you can get the insurance squared away and have the ticket dismissed. If he had gotten a ticket for the seat belt violation then he would have no defense and would be paying for that ticket with cash, court costs and points on his license.

Today I have to call the insurance company today and find out where the new proof of insurance cards are. And I get voice mail. Sigh.

After being caught with marijuana in her car. Dawn Wells, better known as Mary Ann on “Gilligan’s Island,” is now serving six months’ unsupervised probation

She was sentenced Feb. 29 under a plea agreement. Three misdemeanor counts — driving under the influence, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance — were dropped and she plead guilty to one count of reckless driving.. Her sentence was five days in jail, a fine of $410.50 and she was placed on probation for six months.