Frontline-the PBS news, documentary program-had a very interesting presentation on Tuesday, November 27th, 2007. While President Bush is trying to divert people’s and the press’ attention from an unpopular war in Iraq by attempting to bring the Israeli and Palestinian PM’s together here in the US for peace talks PBS broadcast an informative program that looked into how the US is conducting secret spying operations on us.
The NSA has long been a secretive agency that focused its attention on foreign operatives and foreign soil. Listening to US citizens especially while on US soil was considered taboo, but after September 11th occurred and the Patriot Act was passed we gave up some individual rights and freedoms for the appearance of safety. I’m writing to anyone who reads this to say we’ve been duped.
The US Executive branch of the government-with President Bush leading the way-has gone into the domestic spying business. Ordinary citizens who go about their everyday business are having their cell phone calls listened in on, their emails are being looked over and all of this is in the name of national security. Frontline presented situations where the NSA is filtering through gigabytes-and probably terabytes-each day of data off the internet and watching what we write, read and surf on the web. An additional instance was presented in Las Vegas, Nevada. New Year’s eve 2003 there was an alleged terrorist threat in Las Vegas and the FBI wanted all the large hotel and casinos to hand over their listings of all guests who were currently staying in their hotels, those who were scheduled to stay and those who had recently stayed. The hotel management stated that in the past they had been issued warrants for such information and that there were always
specific people that were listed on the warrant that the investigating department wanted information about, but this was the first time that an open ended request with no names that included everyone in the hotels was made. It was unprecedented. It made me sick to my stomach.
To think that the US has gone from being a fledgling country that protested and fought against the British Empire when they taxed us without representation, as well as how the British has generalized-broad-warrants that allowed broad search and seizures. The US constitution specifically states in the 4th amendment that this will not happen. Warrants must be specific to the person, place and articles that are being searched or being searched for and this warrant must be signed by a judge. The current state of affairs with the Patriot Act along with President Bush’s thoughts that he can do whatever he wants so long as it’s in the name of national security seems to say that our President thinks that the ends justifies the means. I’ve heard many say that if you haven’t done anything wrong then you have nothing to fear. But this is not the right way to think nor is it the right way to apply the US constitution. We have the right to privacy in this
country, and I have a justifiable right to believe that my mail-or email, my phone calls-or mobile phone calls, are not being listened to, downloaded or taped in the name of national security. I’ve done nothing wrong and I should have no worry that the government is going to come after me, but to be completely honest-once I post this blog I wonder if the US government will not now be watching my email and my blog and wondering who I am. The answer to that question is simple. I’m a US citizen. I was born in this country. I’m also a citizen who believes that questioning authority, questioning our government and possibly dissenting from the status quo does not constitute a crime or treason!
FRONTLINE: spying on the home front
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/homefront/
FRONTLINE-Watch the program online
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/homefront/view/
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
