Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim in CT
The use of the word "disguise" implies that YOU think the feds had some other motive, other than national security for, say, warrantless wiretapping. SO, if the feds aren't doing these things to deter terrorist attack (which I contend they are), why are the feds doing these things? Do you really think the feds want to know whether Johnny D likes vanilla or chocolate icecream? You think NSA is keeping a list of people who are against the Patriot Act?
|
The feds couldn't care less about me from a security aspect. I probably fall in the least risky of demographics.
The secretive surveillance of any American citizen is a concern for me. If there are terrorist concerns with a certain individual, there are proper channels to present classified information to a judge and have the surveillance approved. My biggest issue is that there is no oversight. This country was created with method of checks and balances to protect the liberties our Founding Fathers fought for. These programs (and pretty much the entirety of the NSA) are allowed, through legislation like the Patriot Act and the Homeland Security Act, to operate outside of the channels which assure the proper checks and balances take place to protect the people.
When we turn a blind eye to Orwellian actions by the government, we allow them to slowly chip away at our personal freedoms and liberties until we are left with none. I know it sounds sensationalist, but as Patrick Henry so articulately put it "Give me Liberty or give me death!"
--------
Also, remembered one other attempt led by the GOP to dissolve our freedom, the REAL ID Act which would have allowed the feds to collect and categorize a massive amount of information about every individual in this country.