Forum:Government Surveillance

From Campaigns Wikia

I recently read (New American, a Libertarian-leaning political magazine) where the technological capabilities of the Federal Government as it is linked into the major telephone and computer networks can instantaneously 'trace' a cell-phone call made in New York City (for example) and from a remote location, say in Los Angeles, California, know precisely which electronic device is making the phone call, from which cell-phone tower the call is being routed and to whom it is being sent, literally within seconds.

So, yes, those scenes from the movie The Bourne Ultimatum ARE factually correct concerning the precision of current U.S. surveillance technology.

Here an interesting, and quite overlooked Constitutional concern is occuring. According to the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, "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." [1]

Sadly, given the War on Terror, the Government Surveillance program should come under increasingly stringent checks & balances of Congressional oversight.

The Natural Right of all U.S. citizens against unreasonable searches shall not be violated, and ONLY supported by Oath or affirmation when probable cause exists.

In other words, "warrantless" wire-taps, in spite of what current conservative-appointed judges have to say on the matter, is to be frank, UN-CONSTITUTIONAL. Yes, wire-taps on foreign nationals living within the United States are warranted. Yes, if a warrant is issued and there is PROBABLE cause, an e-mail or cell-phone call of a U.S. citizen may be intercepted (e.g. the e-mails or cell-phone calls of American drug dealers, OR those extremist groups such as the KKK who may wish to physically harm us), but if no PROBABLE cause exists, then no warrant should be issued, and IF probable cause DOES exist, then ONLY with a warrant and some sort of checks & balances on power would such interception of private communications be allowable.

Sadly, however, in Fighting the War on Terror, we the People of the United States of America have quietly been allowing our Constitutional Freedoms to slip away. This is not a 'liberal' nor a 'conservative' issue, but a CONSTITUTIONAL issue. In fact, some of the STRONGEST critiques of the lack of Constitutional basis for the current wire-tapping policies come from the ultra-conservative Libertarian side of the political spectrum! Truth is truth and according to Amendment Four to the U.S. Constitution, we American citizens are to be FREE from unwarranted searches and seizures, except upon probable cause and supported by Oath or affirmation.

FOR AMERICAN LIBERTY, Rob J. King, CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTOR OF FREEDOM --RobJKing 18:52, 4 October 2007 (UTC)