Leahy says Senate will push for NSA legislation, suggests Obama didn't go far enough
President pro tempore Patrick Leahy is backing new legislation intended to curb the NSA spying program. According to Leahy, “I believe in going after the bad guys. But I also believe in some checks and balances, so you don’t have a government run amok.” In other words, he is searching for a balance between security and privacy. Attorney General Eric Holder's testimony before Congress is going to impact the content of this new legislation.
Personally, I believe that the NSA program needs to be completely terminated. The Constitution requires a warrant in order to conduct searches and seizures. Therefore, the entire program is unconstitutional. Moreover, we have been presented with no indication that the program has prevented a single terrorist attack. If that is the case, dismantling this program should be even easier. As Ben Franklin once said, "those who surrender freedom for security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one."
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I think the steps that are being taken to limit the powers of the NSA program are good, but I agree with Lehay that there should be more. The NSA's goal to provide security and prevent terrorist attacks is a sound but I think there are better ways to achieve that goal that don't include a violation of our constitutional rights.
ReplyDeleteObama's changes put in place are at a good level, and I'm not sure if there needs to be more limitation on the NSA. If the American people are aware of the spying and it's ability to further protection, is it really so awful? What are we hiding that we need to accuse people of violating our rights? Personally, I don't mind that the government can see what I bought on Amazon or the YouTube videos I've watched. I'm interested in what other changes Leahy and other Congress Members want to propose. At the same time, I wonder if Leahy is just throwing out loaded words describing his work to protect American freedom to appease the public.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a step in the right direction. The NSA program needs to be changed so that our privacy is ensured and protected. Sure, most people might have nothing to hide, but in a world where technology is only going to continue growing, I think it's important that our privacy remain intact. If that will actually happen, only time will tell.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with legislation against the NSA. Did anyone watch the 60 minutes piece on the NSA? The truth of the matter is that the NSA is not looking at American citizens personal emails or cell phones. I oppose any legislation against our defenses for that matter. Why would anyone want to limit their protection?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Riley. People are only looking at the potential bad in the NSA "spying". I guess if most people in America are against the NSA's actions then they should be fixed, but I really don't see a threat. Andrew points out that the spying hasn't prevented a single terrorist attack yet. This is true, but it is also true that the world of technology is rapidly expanding and the government must keep up with that. They may not have prevented any attacks now, but that could change in the near future.
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