Why Do Government Surveillance

488 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Relationship between security and freedom

Government Surveillance
In recent years the threat of global terrorism has risen and the United States government has depended on surveillance to combat it. Some believe that this is a small issue compared to what may happen if no precautions were taken, but this student believes that this is a bigger issue than just terrorism is concerned; among other things, it also involves respecting constitutional freedoms.
The main role of a government by definition is to protect its citizens and their freedoms. Amendment 4 of the U.S. Constitution states that:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. …show more content…

It is true, as in the article “NSA Surveillance in Perspective” by Roger Pilon and Richard A. Epstein says, that surveillance seems like “a necessary loss of privacy” that is supposedly worth it, but should we, as faithful American citizens, have to choose between certain freedom and security? If American citizens continue to compromise their due freedoms for safety, America will no longer have freedoms. It is the snow-ball effect of a republic country into a socialist country. Norman Thomas, a famous socialist, says, “The American people will never knowingly adopt Socialism. But under the name of 'liberalism' they will adopt every fragment of the Socialist program, until one day America will be a Socialist nation, without knowing how it

Show More
Related

  • Midterm Hypothetical: The 4th Amendment And 6th Amendment

    868 Words  | 2 Pages

    against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

    Read More

  • Mapp v. Ohio and the Fourth Amendment

    762 Words  | 2 Pages

    The U.S Constitution came up with exclusive amendments in order to promote rights for its citizens. One of them is the Fourth amendment. The Fourth Amendment highlights the right of people to be secure in their persons, houses, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searches, and persons or things to be seized (Worral, 2012). In other words such amendment gave significance to two legal concepts the prohibition of unreasonable searches and seizures and the obligation to provide probable cause to issue a warrant. This leads to the introduction of the landmark Supreme Court case Mapp v. Ohio and the connection to a fact pattern (similar case). Both cases will be analyzed showing the importance of facts and arguments regarding the exclusionary rule and the poisonous doctrine.

    Read More

  • American Civil Liberties: Do Americans Have Enough Protections for Civil Liberties, or Not?

    1449 Words  | 3 Pages

    In a world where terrorism, war, and economic instability are ever looming threats it’s not a wonder why the limits on the freedom of the individual can come into question. This is especially true when the country where these limits are brought into question is one of the world’s leading powers in: democracy, economics, social welfare, military force, and foreign politics in general. This country, of course, is the United States. Unfortunately, even with the country’s democratically centered government, there is still a debate on whether Americans have enough protections for civil liberties or not. A few key areas of argument on civil liberties and hopefully provide enough information to the reader so that he/she may deduce an educated opinion as to whether Americans have enough protection for civil liberties or not.

    Read More

  • Government Surveillance vs Privacy

    1439 Words  | 3 Pages

    Is the American government trustworthy? Edward Joseph Snowden (2013) released to the United States press* selected information about the surveillance of ordinary citizens by the U.S.A.’s National Security Agency (N.S.A.), and its interconnection to phone and social media companies. The motion picture Citizenfour (2014), shows the original taping of those revelations. Snowden said that some people do nothing about this tracking because they have nothing to hide. He claims that this inverts the model of responsibility. He believes that everyone should encrypt Internet messages and abandon electronic media companies that track personal information and Internet behavior (op.cit, 2014). Snowden also stressed to Lawrence Lessig (2014) the importance of the press and the first amendment (Lessig – Snowden Interview Transcript, [16:28]). These dynamics illustrate Lessig’s (2006) constrain-enable pattern of powers that keep society in check (2006, Code: Version 2.0, p. 122). Consider Lessig’s (2006) question what is “the threat to liberty?” (2006, p. 120). Terrorism is a real threat (Weber, 2013). Surveillance by social media and websites, rather than the government, has the greater negative impact on its users.

    Read More

  • Fourth Amendment Essay

    587 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Constitution of the United States of America protects people’s rights because it limits the power of government against its people. Those rights guaranteed in the Constitution are better known as the Bill of Rights. Within these rights, the Fourth Amendment protects “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable search and seizures […]” (Knetzger & Muraski, 2008). According to the Fourth Amendment, a search warrant must be issued before a search and seizure takes place. However, consent for lawful search is one of the most common exceptions to the search warrant requirement.

    Read More

  • The NSA, Privacy and the War or Terrorism

    1550 Words  | 4 Pages

    Edward Snowden is America’s most recent controversial figure. People can’t decide if he is their hero or traitor. Nevertheless, his leaks on the U.S. government surveillance program, PRISM, demand an explanation. Many American citizens have been enraged by the thought of the government tracing their telecommunication systems. According to factbrowser.com 54% of internet users would rather have more online privacy, even at the risk of security (Facts Tagged with Privacy). They say it is an infringement on their privacy rights of the constitution. However, some of them don’t mind; they believe it will help thwart the acts of terrorists. Both sides make a good point, but the inevitable future is one where the government is adapting as technology is changing. In order for us to continue living in the new digital decade, we must accept the government’s ability to surveil us.

    Read More

  • Sacrificing Freedom for Security

    1407 Words  | 3 Pages

    Our nation seems as if it is in a constant battle between freedom and safety. Freedom and security are two integral parts that keep our nation running smoothly, yet they are often seen conflicting with one another. “Tragedies such as Pearl Harbor, 9/11 and the Boston Marathon bombings may invoke feelings of patriotism and a call for unity, but the nation also becomes divided, and vulnerable populations become targets,” (Wootton 1). “After each attack a different group or population would become targets. “The attack on Pearl Harbor notoriously lead to Japanese Americans being imprisoned in internment camps, the attacks on 9/11 sparked hate crimes against those who appeared to be Muslim or Middle Eastern,” (Wootton 1). Often times people wind up taking sides, whether it be for personal freedoms or for national security, and as a nation trying to recover from these disasters we should be leaning on each other for support. Due to these past events the government has launched a series of antiterrorist measures – from ethnic profiling to going through your personal e-mail (Begley 1). Although there are times when personal freedoms are sacrificed for the safety of others, under certain circumstances the government could be doing more harm than good.

    Read More

  • The Patriot Act vs Civil Liberties

    1016 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...vil rights and losing protection. Protection is more important but unnecessary spying should not be tolerated. “The sad truth is that most Americans have already lost the battle when it comes to keeping personal information absolutely private.”( Lee, M.Dilascio, Tracey M.4).

    Read More

  • The Fourth Amendment

    950 Words  | 2 Pages

    The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” –U.S. Constitutional Amendments

    Read More

  • Should Government Restrict Civil Liberties

    889 Words  | 2 Pages

    Whether it is acceptable for the government to restrict any of our civil liberties during times of war, is of great concern and consideration. This essay argues that sacrificing some civil liberties occasionally to keep peace, defend our nation, and silence opposition, is reasonable. Our nation has already been through times where civil liberties have been muted in order to maintain their governmental influence. With the help of outside sources, the argument for limitation of civil liberties is made compelling and engaging.

    Read More

  • Domestic Surveillance Persuasive Essay

    1105 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many people live in fear that they are constantly being watched. Michael Jackson sang it best in the 80 's by saying, "I always feel like, somebody 's watching me," in his hit song with Rockwell. That 's exactly what the NSA and other government organizations are doing today with domestic surveillance. Everywhere Americans go and every corner they turn there is a camera, and every website or email they send is being monitored closely. So what can society do about this? Educate others on the situation and stand up for what is right. Some people believe they must give up some freedoms for protection, but at what cost? What is happening in America is not what the founding fathers fought for. Domestic surveillance should not be allowed because

    Read More

  • Privacy vs. Security

    1260 Words  | 3 Pages

    Most people concerned about the privacy implications of government surveillance aren’t arguing for no[sic] surveillance and absolute privacy. They’d be fine giving up some privacy as long as appropriate controls, limitations, oversight and accountability mechanisms were in place. ”(“5 Myths about Privacy”). The fight for privacy rights is by no means a recent conflict.

    Read More

  • Arguments Against Government Surveillance

    1346 Words  | 3 Pages

    Some scholars view surveillance as a good thing, no matter if the privacy of Americans is invaded or not. In his article “Privacy and the Surveillance Explosion”, Timothy Mack states, “however, public acceptance of surveillance has risen in the United States, and the rate of approval for public surveillance cameras continues to rise (now around 70%) (Mack, pg 2). This may be true for some, but one man cannot speak for the masses. The average American is angry about their privacy being invaded and calls the government to take action to stop the NSA from spying. (Nicks, pg 3). The American people believe that the NSA has too much power and that some of this power needs to be taken back.

    Read More

  • Edward Snowden: The Pervasiveness Of Mass Surveillance

    2279 Words  | 5 Pages

    First of all, mass surveillance can invade personal privacy. Snowden eloquently says, “arguing that you do not care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is equal to saying you do not care about free speech because you have nothing to say” (Kleeman, “In One Quote, Snowden Just Destroyed the Biggest Myth About Privacy”). In other words, the right to privacy, just like the right to speak freely, is essential for all people. He added that people who think in such a way do not really understand the basic foundation of human rights. Basic and innate rights mean that nobody should be required to justify why they need the rights : one person agreeing to disregard one’s right to privacy does not mean everyone should follow suit. Also, Rand Paul, who conducted a filibuster about the renewal of the Patriot Act, claims that the majority of American people want to see mass surveillance reformed or ended (Kleemman, “In One Quote

    Read More

  • Why Surveillance Is Important

    544 Words  | 2 Pages

    If you have the need to place someone under surveillance, you may be tempted to do the work yourself. In the modern world of portable electronic devices, such as smartphones, it may be tempting, but placing a suspect under surveillance is a job better left to professionals. The following are four reasons you should not do this work yourself.

    Read More

More about Why Do Government Surveillance

Open Document