Government's New Tricks

Editor's Box

A Smoker's Problem

Same ole government up to brand new tricks
(Editorial)

Some are beginning to feel as if they no longer have any privacy. It is true; no one truly does.

The new anti-terrorism law known as the USA Patriot Act is allowing law enforcement to intrude upon Americans' privacy at any given time, without question or reason. All law enforcement has to do is obtain court ordered conducts for what are known as "sneak and peek" searches of homes and offices.

Now, they can break into someone's house and take what they want without even explaining to the owner, making the laws that have been passed before to ensure the protection of our privacy seem completely pointless.

The 4th Amendment states: "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." So much for the 4th Amendment!

It is outrageous the things that are now allowed, from digitally undressing travelers on security monitors in major airports, to allowing the FBI surveillance of all Internet email with its "Carnivore" system, to installing cameras at intersections across the country to take pictures of cars that run red lights and then mailing the licensed driver the ticket.

These same law enforcement agents can now browse through someone's personal medical, financial, educational or even library records without even having shown a connection to any crime.

The FBI can make credit reporting firms disclose information without a court order if they feel the information is in connection with a terrorist investigation.

Nothing is protected by privacy anymore. There is a way around everything for these people now. Whether it is a court order or a new law, authorities are slowly gaining more and more power to basically do whatever they want when it comes to invading Americans' privacy.

Even though the most controversial surveillance sections of the Patriot Act will expire in 2005, we still have to live until that time knowing that at any moment we could be under surveillance, being tracked or someone could be going through our personal information without question or reason and we would never know about it. Also, who is to say that since they have already had the privilege to do such things before the sections expire that they won't do them after they expire?

These things are supposed to be okay because they are necessary to combat crime and, especially, international terrorism. So if nothing is ever done about the international war against terrorism, it only leads Americans to believe that everything the authorities have been saying about terrorism is an excuse for them to pry into people's personal lives. This leaves everyone doubting their privacy and how secure it really is.

Same ole government up to brand new tricks (Editorial)

Same ole government up to brand new tricks
(Editorial)