Who will protect us from our government? That is a central question I have after reading the Washington Post’s publication of NSA intercepts given to them by whistleblower Edward Snowden. The article describes an “exponential” increase in NSA spying on American citizens, gathering and storing information about deeply personal, private matters of the heart, health, and finances.
What has happened is that under the guise of security, our government has annihilated each individual American’s sphere of privacy. I warned of this when, as a member of Congress, I led opposition to the Patriot Act as well as opposing FISA legislation.
Every American’s Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure involves the protection of one’s privacy. Without privacy, the government, in effect, annexes our personal space, threatening every individual’s sense of agency, and causing an extraordinary degree of self-censorship.
Prior to our government instituting elements of a police state, there have been long-standing tools in the criminal justice system which describe a process by which the government can obtain a court order to gather information about individuals suspected of criminal activity. Now, however, the assumption is that everyone is a suspect and the NSA’s dragnet sweeps up and stores deeply personal information on law-abiding Americans.
Under these circumstances, it is not the American people who are suspect, but our government. This situation must change.
The US has been set upon a path which is anti-democratic. I am seeking to enlist the support of individuals who are concerned about this issue, to assist in developing a grassroots campaign in every neighborhood in America to begin to discuss how we may reclaim our right to be left alone, free of government suspicion which makes of everyone a suspect. Your feedback and comments are much appreciated.
Reprinted with author’s permission from his Facebook page.
