Argumentative Essay: Should Government Surveillance

There are many privileges we take for granted in our everyday lives, such as our personal freedom. The government impacts this personal freedom by violating it on numerous occasions through the use of security cameras. Examples of these are seen at airports, traffic lights, and neighborhoods. There are many reasons why we should think of this as problematic. I claim that we should limit government surveillance because it is a threat to our democracy, not only because it infiltrates the people’s freedom and privacy, but because the government is irresponsible on how they use their power.

To begin with, most Americans do not realize how much the government trespasses on their privacy. Some might argue government surveillance is necessary to control terrorists and harmful information exposed at the government. However, there needs to be a boundary between oppressing personal freedoms of citizens and protecting the well-being of our nation. The United States is a country that represents freedom around the world.

But real life in the U.S is not what most people expect it to be. Even though it is a free country everything done is monitored by the government, such as social media, the internet, and airport traveling’s. This invasion of privacy is the core of the problem we are dealing with at hand. As a whole, we the people, should have an obligation to express ourselves on this issue, and consider what is best for our country.
Next, there are many ways the government can spy on people even when they are at home. The government can hack into computers, phones, and even televisions. Who says they cannot? They certainly have the information, technology, and power to do so. As every day we live go by, we are constantly being stalked by the unknown. This is why freedom is so important to the people I am siding with. The opposing group is saying that we need security cameras for the protection and self-defense for our citizens. I agree and understand that in special cases like nine eleven it is beneficial and necessary for there to be security cameras. However, I believe the government is misusing their power more than using it to benefit the citizens. We as the people need to limit the use of surveillance cameras in order to achieve a freer country.
Have you ever been in an airport?

Airports are highly guarded with security cameras around the facility. Anywhere and everywhere you go you can be seen through those security cameras. This is how it has always been ever since the dreaded nine eleven occurred in 2001. Because of this incident, the government has taken away some of the people’s freedom and are in deep fear of a similar event happening again. Why should our freedom be limited just because of some catastrophic event? There are times when it is appropriate to use security cameras and other times when it is not. A good example where you would use security cameras appropriately would be when trying to catch a criminal shoplifting in a store. A bad example would be the government hacking into homes and computers because they have a 1% lead on a terrorist. The government needs to distinguish when it is acceptable to use their power for the right cause, and using their power for irresponsible

actions.
Did you know that security cameras are inadequate in solving crimes? (“In 2008, only one crime was solved for every 1,000 cameras, according to the city's police. CCTV cameras across Britain also cost authorities nearly $800 million over the past four years, according to civil liberties group Big Brother Watch.”) According to this statistic not only is security cameras insufficient but they are quite expensive as well. Why would we use so much money on cameras if they are so deficient on solving crimes? By limiting the use of surveillance cameras, we can use the extra money for other things such as schools and poverty. In addition, currently the U.S is in debt, so this would help benefit the country more than an overproduction of security cameras.
To conclude, the use of surveillance cameras is a threat to the personal lives of the people. There are many ways the government can violate our personal freedom by the use of security cameras. Examples of these are seen at airports, traffic lights, and neighborhoods. There are some people who say that security cameras are necessary for the protection of the country. I agree, but they need to be used for a rational purpose instead of being used for things such as stalking and hacking. In addition, security cameras are too expensive and inadequate for solving crimes. Therefore, the government should: limit the use of surveillance cameras, know when to use them appropriately, and lower the number of cameras used.