Privacy

I am a conservative, but I do not necessarily agree with everything that other conservatives want to do. I just read an article that says that the administration is wanting to have its power restored to obtain secretly the records of an ISP with the company not even able to disclose that the request for information has been made. The administration's justification is that this is necessary to help fight terrorism.

I remember from history classes that medieval serfdom developed by people surrendering their liberty for security. Those became lords who had the capacity to protect others. I have heard a quote from Benjamin Franklin (as best I remember) that those who give up liberty to preserve security deserve neither.

I oppose the concept of the government being able to spy on citizens without probable cause and obtaining a court order. The constitution was written to protect us against just such intrusions. If the administration feels that the times are such that different procedures are required, let them propose a constitutional amendment and go through the process of getting it ratified. It seems that they are trying to get the power by sidestepping the constitution.

Well, one might say, what else is new. Governments have a tendency to want to govern, surprise, surprise. They are always grabbing for more power. In the United States, we are blessed to have a system that at least has checks and balances and gives us a chance to oppose power grabs by our votes, input, and influence.

I do not usually agree with the ACLU, but in this case, I support the effort to keep restrict the government's abilities to spy on our internet activity and to keep secret that it is doing it.

To generalize: we need to gut the so-called Patriot Act.